tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Tumori. 2020 May 4:300891620923790. doi: 10.1177/0300891620923790. [Epub ahead of print]
Response of a comprehensive cancer center to the COVID-19 pandemic: the experience of the Fondazione IRCCS-Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano.
Valenza F[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Papagni G[SUP]1[/SUP], Marchian? A[SUP]3[/SUP], Daidone MG[SUP]4[/SUP], DeBraud F[SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Colombo MP[SUP]6[/SUP], Frignani A[SUP]7[/SUP], Galmozzi G[SUP]8[/SUP], Ladisa V[SUP]9[/SUP], Pruneri G[SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]10[/SUP], Salvioni R[SUP]11[/SUP], Spada P[SUP]12[/SUP], Torresani M[SUP]13[/SUP], Rinaldi O[SUP]14[/SUP], Manfredi S[SUP]15[/SUP], Votta M[SUP]16[/SUP], Apolone G[SUP]17[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The rapid spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is affecting many countries. While healthcare systems need to cope with the need to treat a large number of people with different degrees of respiratory failure, actions to preserve aliquots of the healthcare system to guarantee treatment to patients are mandatory.
METHODS:
In order to protect the Fondazione IRCCS-Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano from the spread of COVID-19, a number of to-hospital and within-hospital filters were applied. Among others, a triage process to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positivity in patients with cancer was developed consisting of high-resolution low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan followed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nose-throat swabs whenever CT was suggestive of lung infection. To serve symptomatic patients who were already admitted to the hospital or in need of hospitalization while waiting for RT-PCR laboratory confirmation of infection, a COVID-19 surveillance zone was set up.
RESULTS:
A total of 301 patients were screened between March 6 and April 3, 2020. Of these, 47 were hospitalized, 53 needed a differential diagnosis to continue with their cancer treatment, and 201 were about to undergo surgery. RT-PCR was positive in 13 of 40 hospitalized patients (32%), 14 of 52 day hospital patients (27%), and 6 of 201 surgical patients (3%).
CONCLUSION:
Applying filters to protect our comprehensive cancer center from COVID-19 spread contributed to guaranteeing cancer care during the COVID-19 crisis in Milan. A surveillance area and surgical triage allowed us to protect the hospital from as many as 33 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; lung infection
PMID:32364028DOI:10.1177/0300891620923790
Response of a comprehensive cancer center to the COVID-19 pandemic: the experience of the Fondazione IRCCS-Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano.
Valenza F[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Papagni G[SUP]1[/SUP], Marchian? A[SUP]3[/SUP], Daidone MG[SUP]4[/SUP], DeBraud F[SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Colombo MP[SUP]6[/SUP], Frignani A[SUP]7[/SUP], Galmozzi G[SUP]8[/SUP], Ladisa V[SUP]9[/SUP], Pruneri G[SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]10[/SUP], Salvioni R[SUP]11[/SUP], Spada P[SUP]12[/SUP], Torresani M[SUP]13[/SUP], Rinaldi O[SUP]14[/SUP], Manfredi S[SUP]15[/SUP], Votta M[SUP]16[/SUP], Apolone G[SUP]17[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The rapid spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is affecting many countries. While healthcare systems need to cope with the need to treat a large number of people with different degrees of respiratory failure, actions to preserve aliquots of the healthcare system to guarantee treatment to patients are mandatory.
METHODS:
In order to protect the Fondazione IRCCS-Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano from the spread of COVID-19, a number of to-hospital and within-hospital filters were applied. Among others, a triage process to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positivity in patients with cancer was developed consisting of high-resolution low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan followed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nose-throat swabs whenever CT was suggestive of lung infection. To serve symptomatic patients who were already admitted to the hospital or in need of hospitalization while waiting for RT-PCR laboratory confirmation of infection, a COVID-19 surveillance zone was set up.
RESULTS:
A total of 301 patients were screened between March 6 and April 3, 2020. Of these, 47 were hospitalized, 53 needed a differential diagnosis to continue with their cancer treatment, and 201 were about to undergo surgery. RT-PCR was positive in 13 of 40 hospitalized patients (32%), 14 of 52 day hospital patients (27%), and 6 of 201 surgical patients (3%).
CONCLUSION:
Applying filters to protect our comprehensive cancer center from COVID-19 spread contributed to guaranteeing cancer care during the COVID-19 crisis in Milan. A surveillance area and surgical triage allowed us to protect the hospital from as many as 33 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; lung infection
PMID:32364028DOI:10.1177/0300891620923790