Strategies for children’s surgical care during COVID-19
| Theme | Key examples |
| Diagnostics and operative triage | Facility triage |
| Preoperative screening | |
| Assumption that every patient is an asymptomatic carrier until proven otherwise | |
| Increased imaging use | |
| Cancellation of all surgery | |
| More use of watchful waiting | |
| Use of multi-institutional guidelines | |
| Intraoperative precautions | Use of a laparoscopic viral filter |
| Use of the ‘Taiwan box’ intraoperatively | |
| Increased use of laparoscopy/videoendoscopy | |
| Increased use of open procedures. | |
| Special post anesthesia precaution time | |
| Limiting staff in the operating room | |
| Limiting resident/trainee involvement | |
| Postoperative management | Use of telemedicine for follow-up visits |
| Dedicated spaces or reserved isolation rooms for patients suspected of having or positive for COVID-19 | |
| COVID-19 ward for postoperative care | |
| Expedited discharge | |
| Longer follow-up care | |
| Personal protective equipment and sterilization | Required use of masks in the hospital |
| Dedicated operating room for children positive for COVID-19 | |
| Disinfecting all ORs with UV light | |
| Reserving PPE like new N95 for surgeries or intubation for patients suspected of having COVID-19 or positive for COVID-19 | |
| Use of an N95, controlled air purifying respirator or powered air purifying respirator in the operating room |
COVID-19, the coronavirus disease 2019; OR, oral rehydration; PPE, personal protective equipment; UV, ultraviolet.