Bronchoscopic procedures during COVID-19 pandemic: Experiences in Turkey
Journal of Surgical Oncology, cilt.122, sa.6, ss.1020-1026, 2020 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 122 Sayı: 6
- Basım Tarihi: 2020
- Doi Numarası: 10.1002/jso.26164
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Surgical Oncology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, MEDLINE
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1020-1026
- Anahtar Kelimeler: bronchoscopy, COVID-19, endobronchial ultrasonography, interventional bronchoscopy, lung cancer
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: Globally, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a new, highly contagious, and life-threatening virus. We aimed to demonstrate how we proceeded with bronchoscopic procedures without published guidelines at the inception of the pandemic period. Materials and Methods: All bronchoscopic procedures applied from the first case seen in Turkey (11 March-15 May) were evaluated retrospectively. Patient data on indications, diagnosis, types of procedures, and the results of COVID-19 tests were recorded. Results: This study included 126 patients; 36 required interventional bronchoscopic techniques (28.6%), 74 required endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS; 58.7%), and 16 required flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (12.7%). All interventional rigid bronchoscopic techniques were performed for emergent indications: malignant airway obstruction (66.7%), tracheal stenosis (25%), and bronchopleural fistula (8.3%). Malignancy was diagnosed in 59 (79.7%), 12 (50%), and 4 (25%) patients who underwent EBUS, interventional procedures, and fibreoptic bronchoscopy, respectively. All personnel wore personal protective equipment and patients wore a surgical mask, cap, and disposable gown. Of the patients, 31 (24.6%) were tested for COVID-19 and all the results were negative. COVID-19 was not detected in any of the patients after a 14-day follow-up period. Conclusion: This study was based on our experiences and demonstrated that EBUS and/or bronchoscopy should not be postponed in patients with known or suspected lung cancer.