Fracture Surgery in Known COVID-19 Infected Patients: What Are the Challenges?

Surgery in the time of COVID-19 pandemic is a challenging issue while treatment of affected fracturepatients is inevitable. The present study summarizes the challenges that an orthopedic surgeon is confronting duringthe surgical treatment of fracture patients with concomitant COVID-19 infection.

Demographic and fracture related data of 13 fracture patients with concomitant COVID-19 infection whowere treated with surgery was collected from three trauma centers in Tehran and Kermanshah cities from 21, February2020 to April 3, 2020.

All patients were male with mean age of 38.6±19.5 years. Eight patients had high energy fracture and sevenpatients had multiple fractures and trauma. Wrist and hand were the common sites of fracture following hip and pelvis. Themean interval time period between the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and surgery was 2.3±1.5 days. Before surgery, allpatients except one had been admitted to the corona dedicated wards, while two patients were admitted to the intensivecare unit (ICU). One of the ICU admitted patients died. All the 12 alive patients remained in home isolation after discharge.

Fracture surgery in COVID-19 patients has many challenges such as lack of medical resources, delayof surgery, medial staff fear, and patient isolation. However, a multidisciplinary approach using all potential hospitalresources would lead to successful operation and acceptable outcome.Level of evidence: III