TY - JOUR
T1 - Cardiac surgery in the time of the novel coronavirus
T2 - Why we should think to a new normal
AU - Tamagnini, Gabriele
AU - Biondi, Raoul
AU - Ricciardi, Gabriella
AU - Rutigliano, Roberta
AU - Trias-Llimos, Sergi
AU - Meuris, Bart
AU - Lamelas, Joseph
AU - Del Giglio, Mauro
PY - 2020/8
Y1 - 2020/8
N2 - On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a pandemic. At the time of writing, 24 May 2020 more than 5 million individuals have been tested positive and the death toll was over 330 000 deaths worldwide. The initial data pointed out the tight bond between cardiovascular diseases and worse health outcomes in COVID19-patients. Epidemiologically speaking, there is an overlap between the age-groups more affected by COVID-related death and the age-groups in which Cardiac Surgery has its usual base of patients. The Cardiac Surgery Departments have to think to anew normal: since the virus will remain endemic in the society, dedicated pathways or even dedicated Teams are pivotal to treat safely the patients, in respect of the safety of the health care workers. Moreover, we need a keen eye on deciding which pathologies have to be treated with priority: Coronary artery Disease showed a higher mortality rate in patients affected by COVID19, but it is, however, reasonable to think that all the cardiac pathologies affecting the lung circulation-such as symptomatic severe mitral diseases or aortic stenosis-might deserve a priority access to treatment, to increase the survival rate in case of an acquired-Coronavirus infection later on.
AB - On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a pandemic. At the time of writing, 24 May 2020 more than 5 million individuals have been tested positive and the death toll was over 330 000 deaths worldwide. The initial data pointed out the tight bond between cardiovascular diseases and worse health outcomes in COVID19-patients. Epidemiologically speaking, there is an overlap between the age-groups more affected by COVID-related death and the age-groups in which Cardiac Surgery has its usual base of patients. The Cardiac Surgery Departments have to think to anew normal: since the virus will remain endemic in the society, dedicated pathways or even dedicated Teams are pivotal to treat safely the patients, in respect of the safety of the health care workers. Moreover, we need a keen eye on deciding which pathologies have to be treated with priority: Coronary artery Disease showed a higher mortality rate in patients affected by COVID19, but it is, however, reasonable to think that all the cardiac pathologies affecting the lung circulation-such as symptomatic severe mitral diseases or aortic stenosis-might deserve a priority access to treatment, to increase the survival rate in case of an acquired-Coronavirus infection later on.
KW - cardiac surgery
KW - cardiovascular pathology
KW - COVID-19
KW - new normal
KW - valvular surgery
KW - AORTIC-VALVE-REPLACEMENT
KW - STENOSIS
U2 - 10.1111/jocs.14741
DO - 10.1111/jocs.14741
M3 - Editorial
SN - 0886-0440
VL - 35
SP - 1761
EP - 1764
JO - Journal of cardiac surgery
JF - Journal of cardiac surgery
IS - 8
ER -