Reintroduction of elective paediatric otolaryngology procedures in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

S Afr Med J. 2020 Jun 2;110(7):601-604. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v110i7.14859.

Abstract

Cancelling elective clinical consultations and surgical procedures was instrumental in assisting hospitals prepare for the COVID-19 crisis. Essential bed space was made available, and it allowed mobilisation of health workers and enforced social distancing. A shift in patient-centred ethics to public health ethics was required to provide a utilitarian approach to the crisis. However, at some point, clinicians need to start becoming patient centred again, and this needs to happen within the utilitarian framework. Children only account for 1 - 5% of confirmed COVID-19 cases, and they present with a much milder disease spectrum than adults. Consequently, paediatric units may be at the forefront of implementing reintroduction of patient-centred elective clinical and surgical procedures. The following recommendations provide a framework to do this in a way that minimises risk to patients and clinicians. They are the first paediatric guidelines in the literature to propose a strategy to reintroduce elective surgical procedures.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control
  • Developing Countries
  • Elective Surgical Procedures / standards
  • Elective Surgical Procedures / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infection Control / methods*
  • Male
  • Organizational Innovation
  • Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / standards*
  • Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / statistics & numerical data
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • Pandemics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Patient Selection
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Public Health
  • South Africa