Factores de riesgo asociados a complicaciones postoperatorias en cirugía abdominal de emergencia en pacientes SARS-CoV-2 positivos. Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga – Cuenca. 2022

Abstract

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols to prevent its spread were implemented in 2020. However, emergency abdominal surgeries could not be postponed and new surgical procedures had to be established. General objective: To determine risk factors associated with postoperative complications in emergency abdominal surgery in positive SARS-CoV-2 patients. Methods: Observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional study with analysis of risk factors for the development of complications. Results were analyzed using SPSS v.29, showing association through OR, confidence intervals, and p-value. Results: 424 patients underwent emergency surgery: 4.7 % of them (n = 20) tested positive for SARS-CoV2. Most of these patients (70 %) were under 60 years of age and male preponderance (75 %). Acute appendicitis was the most common pathology (40 %); both appendectomy and exploratory laparotomy were performed in 35% of the surgeries. Arterial hypertension was the most frequent comorbidity and 15 % of patients experienced surgical site infection. Hospitalization varied between 1 and 3 days (35 %), or more than 7 days (35 %), with 75 % of patients recovered. Association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and postoperative complications was statistically significant (OR = 4.83; 95 % CI = 1.88 - 5.99, p = 0.00). Conclusions: Positive SARS-CoV-2 patients have a higher risk of experiencing postoperative complications, and even higher if they are over 60 years and show ASA III (or higher) conditions. Patients might contract pneumonia.