Emergency exploratory laparotomy in a COVID-19 patient - A case report -

BACKGROUND: Surgeries in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) put medical staff at a high risk of infection We report the anesthetic management and infection control of a mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patient who underwent exploratory laparotomy for suspected duodenal ulcer perforation CASE: A 73-year-old man, mechanically ventilated for confirmed COVID-19, showed clinical and radiographic signs of a perforated duodenal ulcer, and he was transferred under sedation and intubation to a negative-pressure operating room The operating and assistant staff wore personal protective equipment High-efficiency particulate absorbing filters were inserted into the expiratory circuits of the anesthesia machine and portable ventilator No participating staff contracted COVID-19, although the patient later died due to pneumonia CONCLUSIONS: This report can contribute to establishing clinical guidelines for the surgical management and operation room setting of COVID-19 patients