1 Jul 2020Article
Outpatient vascular clinic management in COVID-19 pandemic
Gennaro Quarto 1Andrea Miletti 1Ermenegildo Furino 2Francesca Calemma 1Giovanni Palma 1Giacomo Benassai 1
Affiliations
Article Info
1 Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, “Federico II” University, Naples, Italy – I.A.D. Integrated Activity Department (I.A.D.) of Digestive System Diseases (Dir. Prof. Giovanni D. De Palma)
2 Emergency-Admission Department Reunited Hospitals Nola, Naples3-South A.S.L, Campania Region, Italy
Ann. Ital. Chir., 2020, 91(4), 345-351;
Published: 1 Jul 2020
Copyright © 2020 Annali Italiani di Chirurgia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The recent Sars-CoV2 pandemic has dramatically slowed patients’ access to our clinic for vascular pathology when the contagion curve peaked. The need to restore the assistance activity has led us to adopt new individual prophylaxis and hygiene measures. METHODS: Doctors and staff must wear dedicated clothes. Mask and gloves are mandatory for patients. A visit is scheduled every 60 minutes to allow the sanitation of the rooms. The day before the visit patients are contacted by telephone for the Covid-19 risk triage. In the presence of symptoms the visit is postponed. In the presence of other risk factors a IgG/IgM Rapid Test for Covid-19 is performed on admission to the clinic. In the presence of fever, if an extraordinary rapid test cannot be performed, the visit must be postponed. Rapid test positive patients cannot be visited: they are placed in solitary confinement at their home waiting for a nasopharyngeal swab for Covid-19. When the rapid test is positive, immediate room sanitation also occurs. The rooms dedicated to the outpatient clinic as well as medical and not medical instruments are disinfected. CONCLUSION: The one adopted can be a useful management model for any type of care activity in order to guarantee the safety of patients and all the staff.
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Management
- vascular
- Outpatient clinic