Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34870486›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2023

A Tale of Two Institutions: COVID-19 Positive Rates in Asymptomatic Patients Pre-Screened for Spine Procedures and Surgeries in Los Angeles, California.

Allen S Chen, Matthew Brown, Anush Arekelyan, Sophie Wennemann, Nick Shamie, Langston Holly, John C Liu, Jeffrey C Wang, Zorica Buser

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Global spine journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Allen S ChenDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
Matthew BrownDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Anush ArekelyanDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, USC Spine Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Sophie WennemannDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, USC Spine Center, University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA, USA.
Nick ShamieDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
Langston HollyDepartment of Neurological Surgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
John C LiuDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, USC Spine Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Jeffrey C WangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, USC Spine Center, University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA, USA.
Zorica BuserDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, USC Spine Center, University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5680-0643

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective cohort study.

objectivesThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has created an unprecedented global public health emergency. The aim of the current study was to report on COVID-19 rates in an asymptomatic population prior to undergoing spine procedures or surgeries at two large Los Angeles healthcare systems.

methodsElective spine procedures and surgeries from May 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021 were included. Results from SARS-CoV-2 virus RT-PCR nasopharyngeal testing within 72 hours prior to elective spine procedures were recorded. Los Angeles County COVID-19 rates were calculated using data sets from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Chi-squared test and Stata/IC were used for statistical analysis.

resultsA total of 4,062 spine procedures and surgeries were scheduled during this time period. Of these, 4,043 procedures and surgeries were performed, with a total of 19 patients testing positive. Nine positive patients were from UCLA, and 10 from USC. The overall rate of positive tests was low at .47% and reflected similarities with Los Angeles County COVID-19 rates over time.

conclusionsThe current study shows that pre-procedure COVID-19 testing rates remains very low, and follows similar patterns of community rates. While pre-procedure testing increases the safety of elective procedures, universal COVID-19 pre-screening adds an additional barrier to receiving care for patients and increases cost of delivering care. A combination of pre-screening, pre-procedure self-quarantine, and consideration of overall community COVID-19 positivity rates should be further studied.

Indexed as

COVID-19pandemicpre-screeningspine interventionsspine surgery

Identifiers

PMID34870486
PMCPMC10556893

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.