Emergency exploratory laparotomy in a COVID-19 patient - A case report

• Published in: Anesthesia and pain medicine Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 498 - 504
• Main Authors: Lee, Seong Su, Park, Ji Hyun, Kim, Gunn Hee, Kwon, Mi Young, Kim, Hee Yeong, Moon, Yeon Jin, Kim, Su Jin, Yun, Mi Jung
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 30.10.2020
• ISSN: 1975-5171
• DOI: 10.17085/apm.20041

BACKGROUNDSurgeries in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) put medical staff at a high risk of infection. We report the anesthetic management and infection control of a mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patient who underwent exploratory laparotomy for suspected duodenal ulcer perforation. CASEA 73-year-old man, mechanically ventilated for confirmed COVID-19, showed clinical and radiographic signs of a perforated duodenal ulcer, and he was transferred under sedation and intubation to a negative-pressure operating room. The operating and assistant staff wore personal protective equipment. High-efficiency particulate absorbing filters were inserted into the expiratory circuits of the anesthesia machine and portable ventilator. No participating staff contracted COVID-19, although the patient later died due to pneumonia. CONCLUSIONSThis report can contribute to establishing clinical guidelines for the surgical management and operation room setting of COVID-19 patients.