Premium
Head and neck oncologic surgery in the COVID ‐19 pandemic: Our experience in a deep south tertiary care center
Author(s) -
Morrison Daniel R.,
Gentile Christopher,
McCammon Susan,
Buczek Erin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.26262
Subject(s) - pandemic , medicine , covid-19 , otorhinolaryngology , health care , personal protective equipment , population , tertiary care , head and neck surgery , medical emergency , head and neck , emergency medicine , surgery , environmental health , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , economics , economic growth
The ongoing worldwide pandemic due to COVID‐19 has forced drastic changes on the daily lives of the global population. This is most notable within the health care sector. The current paper outlines the response of the head and neck oncologic surgery (HNS) division within our academic otolaryngology department in the state of Alabama. Methods Data with regard to case numbers and types were obtained during the pandemic and compared with time matched data. Our overall approach to managing previously scheduled and new cases, personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization, outpatient clinic, and resident involvement is summarized. Discussion Our HNS division saw a 55% reduction in surgical volume during the peak of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We feel that an early and cohesive strategy to triaging surgical cases, PPE usage, and minimizing exposure of personnel is essential to providing care for HNS patients during this pandemic.