Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36313209›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of clinical and experimental urology2022

Diagnostic yield and costs associated with a routine pre-operative COVID-19 testing algorithm for asymptomatic patients prior to elective surgery.

Michael E Mawhorter, Paul Nguyen, Mackenzie Goldsmith, Russell Grant Owens, Blake Baer, Jay D Raman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of clinical and experimental urology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

6 authors.

Michael E MawhorterDepartment of Urology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA, USA.
Paul NguyenDepartment of Urology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA, USA.
Mackenzie GoldsmithDepartment of Urology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA, USA.
Russell Grant OwensDepartment of Urology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA, USA.
Blake BaerDepartment of Urology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA, USA.
Jay D RamanDepartment of Urology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesInfection with COVID-19 presents known and unknown perioperative risks to the patient and operative staff. Pre-operative testing protocols have become widespread, yet little is known about the utility of this practice in asymptomatic patients undergoing elective surgery. We describe the impact and cost of a routine testing protocol on elective surgical procedures in a retrospective series at a single institution.

methodsStandardized pre-operative COVID-19 testing in all surgical patients was implemented in May 2020. Health system protocol required testing 3 to 5 days before all elective surgery. Data stratified by surgical specialty were collected over the initial 90-day period and disposition over a period of 6-months was assessed for all positive and indeterminate results.

resultsThirty-one (0.41%) positive results amongst 7579 pre-procedural tests, including 3 of 792 (0.38%) for urologic procedures, were noted in asymptomatic patients. Following a positive test, 20 procedures (62.5%) were delayed an average of 49 days, 8 were not performed and 3 proceeded without delay. All 3 urologic procedures were delayed a mean of 59 days. Institutional cost per test ranged from $34-$54. The number needed to test for one positive result was 244 with a cost of $11,573 for each positive result.

conclusionsInstitution of a universal pre-operative COVID-19 screening protocol for asymptomatic, unvaccinated patients undergoing elective surgery identified clinically silent infection in 0.4% of cases with a significant associated cost. Risk and symptom-based testing is likely a better strategy for triaging resources.

Indexed as

clinical protocolsCostsurgery

Identifiers

PMID36313209
PMCPMC9605940

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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.