Subscribe to RSS
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1749616
How Has COVID-19 Affected Orthopedic Surgeons and Residents in Chile?
Article in several languages: español | English
Abstract
Background Since March 2020, Chile has been affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has caused disruptions throughout the world, greatly impacting health services and healthcare workers.
Objective To describe the demographic characteristics related to the COVID-19 pandemic in orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic surgery residents in Chile.
Methods We conducted an on-line survey requesting data on demographics, work, exposure to and infection by COVID-19, symptoms, and protection practices.
Results A total of 567 surgeons answered the survey; 37 (6.4%) had had COVID-19, without gender differences. There was a higher rate of infection among residents, 9 from 73 (12.3%), than among surgeons, 28 from 494 (5.7%), as well as higher rates of infection among those working more than 60 hours (p < 0.05). Among those infected, 31 (83.8%) were from the Metropolitan Region (MR), where the rate of infection was significantly higher compared with other regions (p < 0.05). Only 8 (21.6%) of those infected had medical history. Hospitalization was required by 3 (5.4%), 1 of them in the Intensive care Unit (ICU), and the remaining were handled at home. The most frequent location of infection was the workplace, with the common areas being the main suspected sites, followed by outpatient clinics and orthopedic surgery wards. In total, 40.5% (15) of the sample reported having infected other individuals. There was also an impact in the surgeon's income: 14.8% (84) reported a decrease lower than 20%, and 45% (256), a decrease higher than 50%. This decrease was higher among surgeons than among residents, and higher among those from the MR compared to other regions (p < 0.05).
Conclusion Even though orthopedic surgery practice has been reduced by the pandemic, orthopedic surgeons have been exposed to the risk of infection by COVID-19. The workplace seems to be the site that poses the greatest risk, especially the common areas.
Level of Evidence V.
Publication History
Received: 21 June 2021
Accepted: 13 April 2022
Article published online:
28 December 2022
© 2022. Sociedad Chilena de Ortopedia y Traumatologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Rua do Matoso 170, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 20270-135, Brazil
-
Referencias
- 1 Rothe C, Schunk M, Sothmann P. et al. Transmission of 2019-nCoV infection from an asymptomatic contact in Germany. N Engl J Med 2020; 382 (10) 970-971
- 2 Kamps BS, Hoffmann C. Covid Reference Edición 2020-1. http://www.covidreference.com/ . Uploaded 13 de julio de 2020. Accedido 5 de agosto de 2020.
- 3 Wu Z, McGoogan JM. Characteristics of and important lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: summary of a report of 72 314 cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA 2020; 323 (13) 1239-1242 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.2648.
- 4 CDC COVID-19 Response Team. February 12–April 9, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020; 69 (15) 477-481
- 5 Ran L, Chen X, Wang Y, Wu W, Zhang L, Tan X. Risk Factors of Healthcare Workers With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Designated Hospital of Wuhan in China. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 71 (16) 2218-2221
- 6 Hirschmann MT, Hart A, Henckel J, Sadoghi P, Seil R, Mouton C. COVID-19 coronavirus: recommended personal protective equipment for the orthopaedic and trauma surgeon. [published correction appears in Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2020 Jun 12;] Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2020; 28 (06) 1690-1698 DOI: 10.1007/s00167-020-06022-4.
- 7 Awad ME, Rumley JCL, Vazquez JA, Devine JG. Perioperative Considerations in Urgent Surgical Care of Suspected and Confirmed COVID-19 Orthopaedic Patients: Operating Room Protocols and Recommendations in the Current COVID-19 Pandemic. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2020; 28 (11) 451-463 DOI: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-20-00227.
- 8 The Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Emergency Response Epidemiology Team. The epidemiological characteristics of an outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) China, 2020. China CDC Wkly 2020; 2 (08) 113-122
- 9 Integrata S. COVID-19. Instituto Superiore di Sanita. 2020. https://portale.fnomceo.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Infografica_22giugno-ITA.pdf Accedido el 7 de septiembre 2020
- 10 Análisis de los casos de COVID-19 en personal sanitario notificados a la RENAVE hasta el 10 de mayo en España Accedido 7 de septiembre 2020 https://www.isciii.es/QueHacemos/Servicios/VigilanciaSaludPublicaRENAVE/EnfermedadesTransmisibles/Documents/INFORMES/Informes%20COVID-19/COVID-19%20en%20personal%20sanitario%2029%20de%20mayo%20de%202020.pdf
- 11 Kursumovic E, Lennane S, Cook TM. Deaths in healthcare workers due to COVID-19: the need for robust data and analysis. Anaesthesia 2020; 75 (08) 989-992 DOI: 10.1111/anae.15116.
- 12 Epidemiológico I. N°70, departamento epidemiología, MINSAL. 2020
- 13 Guo X, Wang J, Hu D. et al. Survey of COVID-19 Disease Among Orthopaedic Surgeons in Wuhan, People's Republic of China. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2020; 102 (10) 847-854 DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.20.00417.
- 14 Delgado D, Wyss Quintana F, Perez G. et al. Personal safety during the COVID-19 pandemic: realities and perspectives of healthcare workers in Latin America. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17 (08) 2798 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082798.