BMJ quality & safety
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BMJ quality & safety · Apr 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyMortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing upper extremity surgery at the peak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the UK: a national cohort study.
This study reports the 30-day mortality, SARS-CoV-2 complication rate and SARS-CoV-2-related hospital processes at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in the UK. ⋯ The SARS-CoV-2-related complication rate for upper limb surgery even at the peak of the UK pandemic was low at 0.18% and the mortality was zero for patients admitted on the day of surgery. Urgent surgery should not be delayed pending the results of SARS-CoV-2 testing. Routine SARS-CoV-2 testing for day case upper limb surgery not requiring general anaesthesia may be excessive and have unintended negative impacts.