[Management of patients with lymphatic diseases and lipoedema during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations of the Spanish Group of Lymphology]

Rehabilitacion (Madr). 2020 Oct-Dec;54(4):276-283. doi: 10.1016/j.rh.2020.07.003. Epub 2020 Aug 8.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to the management of non-COVID pathologies such as lymphatic diseases and lipoedema. The use of telemedicine can prevent the spread of the disease. A system is needed to help determine the clinical priority and selection of face-to-face or telemedicine options for each patient and how to carry them out during the pandemic. The Spanish Lymphology Group has drafted a consensus document with recommendations based on the literature and clinical experience, as clinical practice guidelines for the management of lymphatic abnormalities and lipoedema during the COVID-19 pandemic. These recommendations must be adapted to the characteristics of each patient, the local conditions of the centres, and the decisions of health care professionals. The document contains minimum criteria, subject to modifications according to the evolution of the pandemic, scientific knowledge and instructions from health authorities.

La pandemia de COVID-19 es un desafío para el manejo de las patologías no COVID como la enfermedad linfática y el lipedema. La telemedicina puede evitar la propagación del coronavirus. Se necesita un sistema que nos ayude a determinar la prioridad clínica y la selección de la asistencia presencial o telemática para cada paciente y la forma de realizarlas durante la pandemia. El Grupo Español de Linfología ha realizado un documento de consenso con recomendaciones basadas en la bibliografía y experiencia clínica, como guía de práctica clínica en el manejo de anomalías linfáticas y lipedema durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Estas recomendaciones deben adaptarse a las características del paciente, las condiciones locales de los centros y las decisiones de los profesionales de la salud. Es un documento de criterios mínimos, sujeto a modificaciones según evolucione la pandemia, los conocimientos científicos y las instrucciones de las autoridades sanitarias.

Keywords: Anomalía linfática; Anomalía vascular; Anomalía venosa; COVID-19; Linfedema; Lipedema; Lipoedema; Lymphatic anomalies; Lymphoedema; Malformación vascular; Pandemia; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2; Telemedicina; Telemedicine; Triage; Triaje; Vascular; Vascular anomalies; Vascular malformation; Venous anomalies.

Publication types

  • Consensus Development Conference
  • Practice Guideline
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Comorbidity
  • Compression Bandages
  • Continuity of Patient Care
  • Coronavirus Infections* / complications
  • Coronavirus Infections* / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections* / prevention & control
  • Disease Management
  • Emergencies
  • Equipment Design
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Humans
  • Lipedema / complications
  • Lipedema / rehabilitation
  • Lipedema / therapy*
  • Lymphatic Diseases / complications
  • Lymphatic Diseases / rehabilitation
  • Lymphatic Diseases / therapy*
  • Manual Lymphatic Drainage
  • Office Visits
  • Pandemics* / prevention & control
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Patient Participation
  • Physical Therapy Modalities
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / complications
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / prevention & control
  • Precision Medicine
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Telemedicine*
  • Telephone
  • Triage
  • Videoconferencing