Delays in urgent endoscopic interventions in a gastrointestinal endoscopy referral center and dedicated COVID unit: Riding the waves?

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic [1], major healthcare protocol overhauls have been enforced worldwide in order to contain the disease. Due to system-wide reduced availability and because endoscopic interventions were considered to carry a high risk of transmission [2], local practices suffered significant changes including strict prioritization and increased waiting time for most endoscopic procedures. Position statements issued by expert societies offered guidance [3] on procedure stratification according to the level of emergency, but many decisions were still taken on a case-by-case basis, leading to inhomogenous practice and unnecessary delays [4,5] and potentially contributing to adverse outcomes.

Source: Digestive and Liver Disease - August 8, 2021 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Andrei Voiosu, Bianca Alexandra Dinescu, Andreea Bengu ș, Radu Bogdan Mateescu, Mihail Radu Voiosu, Theodor Voiosu Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research