Features of hospitalization of patients in the trauma and orthopedic center in the context of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

The algorithm for examining patients for SARS-CoV-2 during admission to non-infectious hospitals, a unified route scheme for patients taking into account the potential infectious hazard is not regulated.

The aim of the study is to identify the features of the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 during planned hospitalization in the field of “traumatology and orthopedics”; to present schemes for examining patients for SARS-CoV-2 during hospitalization and patient routing in the clinic.

Materials and methods. The route and procedure of examination to exclude the nosocomial spread of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized for three months is described. 3366 survey results were analyzed.

Results. Positive PCR tests for COVID-19 before hospitalization were obtained in 4.5 % of patients. High titers of IgM are found in 7.8 % of cases. At the level of the Pass Office, 10.5 % of arrivals were denied hospitalization. The CT scan of the chest organs, which was then carried out, revealed among the examined 9.1 % of asymptomatic pneumonia, of which 93.5 % – with radiological signs of COVID-19, 2/3 of “covid” pneumonia – with a CT-0 degree. Another part of hospitalizations was postponed due to somatic contraindications during clinical examination. After all the selection stages, 73.2 % of planned hospitalizations ended up. In the hospital, 12 cases of COVID-19 were detected in the postoperative period, more often on the 4th day after the operation. A total of 2,328 patients were discharged during the study period – 69.2 % of planned hospitalizations, a third of patients received a medical withdrawal from hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Conclusions. The peculiarities of admitting patients to planned hospitalization in the traumatology and orthopedics profile is the difficulty of reliably detecting COVID-19 in a limited time. In some cases of asymptomatic course, the disease is detected only with the help of CT diagnostics. In 0.5 % of cases, COVID-19 is detected in the postoperative period. The described patient routing scheme, multistage diagnostics to exclude COVID-19 are able to ensure maximum infectious safety of patients and staff in the clinic.

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