Clinical Activities, Contaminations of Surgeons and Cooperation with Health Authorities in 14 Orthopedic Departments in North Italy during the Most Acute Phase of Covid-19 Pandemic

Alessandro Aprato, Nicola Guindani, Alessandro Massè, Claudio C. Castelli, Alessandra Cipolla, Delia Antognazza, Francesco Benazzo, Federico Bove, Alessandro Casiraghi, Fabio Catani, Dante Dallari, Rocco D’Apolito, Massimo Franceschini, Alberto Momoli, Flavio Ravasi, Fabrizio Rivera, Luigi Zagra, Giovanni Zatti and Fabio D’Angelo
Additional contact information
Alessandro Aprato: Azienda Ospedaliera CTO-CRF Maria Adelaide, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
Nicola Guindani: Regional Health Care and Social Agency Papa Giovanni XXIII, 25127 Bergamo, Italy
Alessandro Massè: Azienda Ospedaliera CTO-CRF Maria Adelaide, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
Claudio C. Castelli: Regional Health Care and Social Agency Papa Giovanni XXIII, 25127 Bergamo, Italy
Alessandra Cipolla: Azienda Ospedaliera CTO-CRF Maria Adelaide, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
Delia Antognazza: Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
Francesco Benazzo: Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy
Federico Bove: Azienda Ospedaliera Niguarda Ca’ Granda, 20162 Milano, Italy
Alessandro Casiraghi: Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Spedali Civili Di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Fabio Catani: Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Modena University Hospital, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
Dante Dallari: IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Rocco D’Apolito: IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milano, Italy
Massimo Franceschini: Orthopedic Institute Gaetano Pini, 20122 Milan, Italy
Alberto Momoli: Orthopaedics and Traumatology, San Bortolo Hospital, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
Flavio Ravasi: ASST-Melegnano-Martesana, Ortopedia di Cernusco sul Naviglio, 20070 Vizzolo Predabissi, Italy
Fabrizio Rivera: Civil Hospital SS. Annunziata, 12038 Savigliano, Italy
Luigi Zagra: IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milano, Italy
Giovanni Zatti: Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Milano–Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
Fabio D’Angelo: Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Background : From 10 March up until 3 May 2020 in Northern Italy, the SARS-CoV-2 spread was not contained; disaster triage was adopted. The aim of the present study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19-pandemic on the Orthopedic and Trauma departments, focusing on: hospital reorganization (flexibility, workload, prevalence of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2, standards of care); effects on staff; subjective orthopedic perception of the pandemic. Material and Methods : Data regarding 1390 patients and 323 surgeons were retrieved from a retrospective multicentric database, involving 14 major hospitals. The subjective directors’ viewpoints regarding the economic consequences, communication with the government, hospital administration and other departments were collected. Results : Surgical procedures dropped by 73%, compared to 2019, elective surgery was interrupted. Forty percent of patients were screened for SARS-CoV-2: 7% with positive results. Seven percent of the patients received medical therapy for COVID-19, and only 48% of these treated patients had positive swab tests. Eleven percent of surgeons developed COVID-19 and 6% were contaminated. Fourteen percent of the staff were redirected daily to COVID units. Communication with the Government was perceived as adequate, whilst communication with medical Authorities was considered barely sufficient. Conclusions : Activity reduction was mandatory; the screening of carriers did not seem to be reliable and urgent activities were performed with a shortage of workers and a slower workflow. A trauma network and dedicated in-hospital paths for COVID-19-patients were created. This experience provided evidence for coordinated responses in order to avoid the propagation of errors.

Keywords: orthopedics and traumatology; contamination; COVID-19; management; organization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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