Trauma and Acute-care Surgeons’ Perception of Personal Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The World Health Organization recognized in March 2020 the existence of a pandemic of the new coronavirus that appeared in China in late 2019, which was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this context, a survey was conducted with 125 trauma and emergency surgeons from across the world regarding the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the role of the surgeon in the pandemic, using an electronic survey. The study findings suggest that many surgeons work under inadequate conditions, particularly in South America, without the necessary supplies and equipment such as N95 masks and facial shields when contacting potentially contaminated patients. The findings indicate an increased risk of contamination by healthcare workers, which may result in losses of working professionals. Immediate measures must be taken to guarantee access to safety equipment throughout the globe, since all patients with emergency surgical conditions must be managed as potentially carrying the COVID-19 virus..