Response and Operating Room Preparation for the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Perspective From the National Heart Centre in Singapore

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2020 Sep;34(9):2331-2337. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2020.03.050. Epub 2020 Mar 29.

Abstract

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory disease from a novel coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, is now a public health emergency and pandemic. Singapore, as a major international transportation hub in Asia, has been one of the worst hit countries by the disease. With the advent of local transmission, the authors share their preparation and response planning for the operating room of the National Heart Centre Singapore, the largest cardiothoracic tertiary center in Singapore. Protection of staff and patients, environmental concerns, and other logistic and equipment issues are considered.

Keywords: COVID-19; operating room; outbreak; pandemic; response.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / surgery
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
  • Health Personnel / standards*
  • Humans
  • Operating Rooms / methods
  • Operating Rooms / standards*
  • Pandemics
  • Personal Protective Equipment / standards
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / surgery
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Singapore / epidemiology
  • Workflow