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Poon MTC, Piper RJ, Thango N, Fountain DM, Marcus HJ, Lippa L, Servadei F, Esene IN, Freyschlag CF, Neville IS, Rosseau G, Schaller K, Demetriades AK, Robertson FC, Hutchinson PJ, Price SJ, Baticulon RE, Glasbey JC, Bhangu A, Jenkinson MD, Kolias AG. Variation in postoperative outcomes of patients with intracranial tumors: insights from a prospective international cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:1299-1309. [PMID: 37052643 PMCID: PMC10326494 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study assessed the international variation in surgical neuro-oncology practice and 30-day outcomes of patients who had surgery for an intracranial tumor during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We prospectively included adults aged ≥18 years who underwent surgery for a malignant or benign intracranial tumor across 55 international hospitals from 26 countries. Each participating hospital recorded cases for 3 consecutive months from the start of the pandemic. We categorized patients' location by World Bank income groups (high [HIC], upper-middle [UMIC], and low- and lower-middle [LLMIC]). Main outcomes were a change from routine management, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 30-day mortality. We used a Bayesian multilevel logistic regression stratified by hospitals and adjusted for key confounders to estimate the association between income groups and mortality. RESULTS Among 1016 patients, the number of patients in each income group was 765 (75.3%) in HIC, 142 (14.0%) in UMIC, and 109 (10.7%) in LLMIC. The management of 200 (19.8%) patients changed from usual care, most commonly delayed surgery. Within 30 days after surgery, 14 (1.4%) patients had a COVID-19 diagnosis and 39 (3.8%) patients died. In the multivariable model, LLMIC was associated with increased mortality (odds ratio 2.83, 95% credible interval 1.37-5.74) compared to HIC. CONCLUSIONS The first wave of the pandemic had a significant impact on surgical decision-making. While the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection within 30 days after surgery was low, there was a disparity in mortality between countries and this warrants further examination to identify any modifiable factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T C Poon
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rory J Piper
- Department of Neurosurgery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Nqobile Thango
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Daniel M Fountain
- Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
| | - Hani J Marcus
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Laura Lippa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda Milan, Italy
| | - Franco Servadei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University and IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milano, Italy
| | - Ignatius N Esene
- Neurosurgery Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon
| | - Christian F Freyschlag
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Iuri S Neville
- Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gail Rosseau
- George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Karl Schaller
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Medical Center, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Faith C Robertson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Peter J Hutchinson
- Academic Division of Neurosurgery, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephen J Price
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Neurosurgery, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ronnie E Baticulon
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines
| | - James C Glasbey
- NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Michael D Jenkinson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Walton Centre & University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Angelos G Kolias
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Neurosurgery, Cambridge, UK
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COVIDSurg Collaborative. COVID-19-related absence among surgeons: development of an international surgical workforce prediction model. BJS Open 2021; 5. [PMID: 33688956 DOI: 10.1093/bjsopen/zraa021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the initial COVID-19 outbreak up to 28.4 million elective operations were cancelled worldwide, in part owing to concerns that it would be unsustainable to maintain elective surgery capacity because of COVID-19-related surgeon absence. Although many hospitals are now recovering, surgical teams need strategies to prepare for future outbreaks. This study aimed to develop a framework to predict elective surgery capacity during future COVID-19 outbreaks. METHODS An international cross-sectional study determined real-world COVID-19-related absence rates among surgeons. COVID-19-related absences included sickness, self-isolation, shielding, and caring for family. To estimate elective surgical capacity during future outbreaks, an expert elicitation study was undertaken with senior surgeons to determine the minimum surgical staff required to provide surgical services while maintaining a range of elective surgery volumes (0, 25, 50 or 75 per cent). RESULTS Based on data from 364 hospitals across 65 countries, the COVID-19-related absence rate during the initial 6 weeks of the outbreak ranged from 20.5 to 24.7 per cent (mean average fortnightly). In weeks 7-12, this decreased to 9.2-13.8 per cent. At all times during the COVID-19 outbreak there was predicted to be sufficient surgical staff available to maintain at least 75 per cent of regular elective surgical volume. Overall, there was predicted capacity for surgeon redeployment to support the wider hospital response to COVID-19. CONCLUSION This framework will inform elective surgical service planning during future COVID-19 outbreaks. In most settings, surgeon absence is unlikely to be the factor limiting elective surgery capacity.
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COVIDSurg Collaborative. Preoperative nasopharyngeal swab testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Br J Surg 2021; 108:88-96. [PMID: 33640908 DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Surgical services are preparing to scale up in areas affected by COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative SARS-CoV-2 testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective cancer surgery. METHODS This international cohort study included adult patients undergoing elective surgery for cancer in areas affected by SARS-CoV-2 up to 19 April 2020. Patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection before operation were excluded. The primary outcome measure was postoperative pulmonary complications at 30 days after surgery. Preoperative testing strategies were adjusted for confounding using mixed-effects models. RESULTS Of 8784 patients (432 hospitals, 53 countries), 2303 patients (26.2 per cent) underwent preoperative testing: 1458 (16.6 per cent) had a swab test, 521 (5.9 per cent) CT only, and 324 (3.7 per cent) swab and CT. Pulmonary complications occurred in 3.9 per cent, whereas SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 2.6 per cent. After risk adjustment, having at least one negative preoperative nasopharyngeal swab test (adjusted odds ratio 0.68, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.68 to 0.98; P = 0.040) was associated with a lower rate of pulmonary complications. Swab testing was beneficial before major surgery and in areas with a high 14-day SARS-CoV-2 case notification rate, but not before minor surgery or in low-risk areas. To prevent one pulmonary complication, the number needed to swab test before major or minor surgery was 18 and 48 respectively in high-risk areas, and 73 and 387 in low-risk areas. CONCLUSION Preoperative nasopharyngeal swab testing was beneficial before major surgery and in high SARS-CoV-2 risk areas. There was no proven benefit of swab testing before minor surgery in low-risk areas.
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