Membership Forum::COVID-19 Discussion:Covid tests within 90 days of Covid-19 Infection

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Subject : Covid tests within 90 days of Covid-19 Infection.. 02/15/2021 11:35:25 AM

Dr. Richard Hoberman

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I am looking for some consensus/advise on whether or not to test recovered Covid patients coming for elective surgery WITHIN 90 days of infection. We have, up to now, tested everyone coming to our ASC. However, per APSF/ASA statement "repeat PCR testing in asymptomatic patients is strongly discouraged" within 90 days. Not testing these patients has been easier said than done. Medical and nursing staff are very reluctant to bring non-tested patients in. Has anyone on this forum, who previously tested all patients, started this non-testing within 90 days-protocol?

Subject : Re:Covid tests within 90 days of Covid-19 Infection.. 02/15/2021 12:16:22 PM

Dr. Jean Sprengel M.D.

Posts: 12
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I agree that they shouldn’t be tested. But we have the issue of who decides what patients to exclude. It’s often a secretary. So at this point, everyone in our ASC gets tested. When we get a positive one and find that the patient is a recovered Covid patient, we go ahead and do the case. We have had so few of them though that this works for us. When we get a bigger volume of these patients we may need to get more proactive on it.

Subject : Re:Covid tests within 90 days of Covid-19 Infection.. 02/15/2021 12:36:21 PM

Dr. Christopher Hanlon

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We do not retest within 90 days of positive test. Initially, we tested all patients (cataracts, colon/EGDs, ENT, retina) but have since scaled back testing to aerosol-generating procedures only. The biggest hurdle for the staff was stopping testing on colonoscopy patients, as the anesthesia personnel are at head of bed with a natural airway. I (chief of anesthesia) have all anesthesia personnel wear N95s, which is unchanged since start of pandemic. So far, we have had no documented cases of Covid coming for at-work exposures, despite a handful of colonoscopy patients testing positive 1-2 days after their procedure. As long as you maintain consistent PPE adherence, changing testing protocols or retesting should not be met with fear.

Subject : Re:Covid tests within 90 days of Covid-19 Infection.. 02/15/2021 12:52:11 PM

Prof. Kumar Belani

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If they are asymptomatic they don't need to be tested for 90 days because it can take that long to turn negative; key is to document any COVID related comorbidities and whether those will interfere with elective surgery; and yes, PPE should be worn because they could be contagious.