Peri-operative and critical care concerns in coronavirus pandemic

Abstract

World Health Organization (WHO) declared novel coronavirus outbreak a 'pandemic' on March 11th, 2020. India has already reached Stage 2 (local transmission) and the Indian Government, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is taking all necessary steps to halt the community transmission(Stage 3). Anaesthesiologists and intensivists around the globe are making untiring efforts akin to soldiers at the final frontier during war. All efforts pertaining to adequate staffing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and strict adherence to hand hygiene measures are being stressed upon to prevent in-hospital transmission. In this article, all outbreak response measures including triaging, preparation of isolation rooms, decontamination and disinfection protocols as well as fundamental principles of critical care and anaesthetic management in Covid-19 cases is being discussed. All the recommendations have been derived from the past experiences of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak as well as upcoming guidelines from the international health fraternity and Indian Health Services.