PlumX Metrics
Embed PlumX Metrics

Perspectives on perioperative management of children's surgical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in low-income and middle-income countries: A global survey

World Journal of Pediatric Surgery, ISSN: 2516-5410, Vol: 3, Issue: 3, Page: e000187
2020
  • 10
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 26
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 46
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

  • Citations
    10
  • Captures
    26
  • Social Media
    46
    • Shares, Likes & Comments
      46
      • Facebook
        46

Review Description

Background Many organizations have issued recommendations to limit elective surgery during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We surveyed providers of children's surgical care working in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) to understand their perspectives on surgical management in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they were subsequently modifying their surgical care practices. Methods A survey of children's surgery providers in LMICs was performed. Respondents reported how their perioperative practice had changed in response to COVID-19. They were also presented with 26 specific procedures and asked which of these procedures they were allowed to perform and which they felt they should be allowed to perform. Changes in surgical practice reported by respondents were analyzed thematically. Results A total of 132 responses were obtained from 120 unique institutions across 30 LMICs. 117/120 institutions (97.5%) had issued formal guidance on delaying or limiting elective children's surgical procedures. Facilities in LICs were less likely to have issued guidance on elective surgery compared with middle-income facilities (82% in LICs vs 99% in lower middle-income countries and 100% in upper middle-income countries, p=0.036). Although 122 (97%) providers believed cases should be limited during a global pandemic, there was no procedure where more than 61% of providers agreed cases should be delayed or canceled. Conclusions There is little consensus on which procedures should be limited or delayed among LMIC providers. Expansion of testing capacity and local, context-specific guidelines may be a better strategy than international consensus, given the disparities in availability of preoperative testing and the lack of consensus towards which procedures should be delayed.

Bibliographic Details

Truche, Paul; Bowder, Alexis; Lalla, Amber Trujillo; Crum, Robert; Botelho, Fabio; Rice, Henry Elliot; Lopes, Bellisa Caldas; Greenberg, Sarah; Evans, Faye; Meara, John Gerard; Ameh, Emmanuel Adoyi; Mooney, David Patrick

BMJ

Medicine

Provide Feedback

Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know