Preoperative covid-19 testing for elective ophthalmological procedure in a tertiary health care centre: Our experience during the pandemic

Abstract

Background: To study the prevalence of coronavirus infection among asymptomatic patients requiring eye surgery and the role of screening in prevention of spread of infection among the healthcare workers. Design: The prospective observational study was conducted in the Ophthalmology department of a tertiary care center in Delhi from September 2020 to December 2020. Setting: Patients requiring elective ophthalmological procedures in a tertiary care hospital were screened for coronavirus using the RT-PCR method. Testing methods and results were documented. Results: Among the 218 asymptomatic patients posted for elective surgery in that period, 16 (7.3%) were found to be positive for COVID-19. Those who tested positive were advised home isolation and surgery was postponed for the next 14 days. No complications were reported in these patients. One health-care worker also tested positive for COVID-19 during our study period. Conclusion: In our study, 1 out of 14 asymptomatic patients were found to be carriers for the novel virus. Asymptomatic COVID-infected patients may lead to transmission of the virus inside the hospital among the visiting patients and hospital staff while they have no adverse effect on the surgery and its outcome.