Open AccessSurviving the COVID-19 Pandemic: Surge Capacity Planning for Nonemergent Surgery
Author(s) -
Lee Squitieri,
Kevin C. Chung
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plastic and reconstructive surgery/psef cd journals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.841
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1076-5751
pISSN - 0032-1052
DOI - 10.1097/prs.0000000000007075
Subject(s) - medicine , pandemic , covid-19 , surge capacity , medical emergency , health care , intensive care medicine , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economic growth , virology , pathology , outbreak , economics
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has confronted the U.S. health care system with unprecedented challenges amidst a tenuous economic environment. As inpatient hospitals across the country prepare for an overwhelming influx of highly contagious COVID-19 cases, many nonemergent procedures have been cancelled or indefinitely postponed without guidance regarding eventual safe accommodation of these procedures in the future. Given the potentially prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care use, it is imperative for plastic surgeons to collaborate with other medical and surgical specialties to develop surge capacity protocols that allow continuation of safe, high-quality, nonemergent procedures. The purpose of this article is to provide necessary and timely public health information relevant to plastic surgery and also share a conceptual framework to guide surge capacity protocols for nonemergent surgery.