Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug;25(8):5001-5008.
doi: 10.1007/s00784-021-03809-8. Epub 2021 Feb 4.

The efficacy of a protective protocol for oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures in a COVID-19 pandemic area-results from 1471 patients

Michael Alterman  1 , Maria Nassar  2 , Heli Rushinek  2 , Adir Cohen  2 , Lior Shapira  3 , Nardy Casap  2
Affiliations

The efficacy of a protective protocol for oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures in a COVID-19 pandemic area-results from 1471 patients

Michael Alterman et al. Clin Oral Investig. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of an empiric protection protocol during oral surgical treatments in a COVID-19 pandemic area and to evaluate the potential effect of postponed dental procedures on the frequency of facial infections during a lockdown period.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a case series of a broad-spectrum of oral surgeries in a COVID-19 pandemic area. Data collection included patient age, type of procedure performed, and COVID-19 status of staff and patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Between February 21 and April 23, 2020, 1471 patients were treated in the outpatient clinic (n=1404) and under general anesthesia (n=67). All procedures were carried out under a strict empiric protective protocol that included patient screening, personal protective equipment allocation protocol, frequent staff testing, and patient testing before general anesthesia. Treatments included emergency and urgent elective procedures. Only one staff member was confirmed positive for COVID-19 during routine weekly testing, and an independent epidemiologic investigation suggested he was likely infected outside of hospital facilities.

Conclusions: Our empiric protective protocol was found to be effective in preventing staff cross-infection with COVID-19 in an oral and maxillofacial surgery setting.

Clinical relevance: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that provides data regarding oral surgical activity in a COVID-19 pandemic area. Our suggested protective protocol may assist oral surgeons in continuing dental services in a safe manner.

Keywords: Coronavirus; PPE allocation protocol; Patient screening process; Personal protective equipment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Quantification of patients with odontogenic infections. The number at the top of each column represents the percentage of patients reported to have deteriorated due to delay in dental care
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Algorithm for recommended management protocol for practitioners in affected areas based on our experience and the scientific literature about COVID-19
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation report – 96. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/2.... [Accessibility verified June 6, 2020]
    1. He J, Guo Y, Mao R, Zhang J (2020) Proportion of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of medical virology. 10.1002/jmv.26326 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mizumoto K, Kagaya K, Zarebski A and Chowell G (2020) Estimating the asymptomatic proportion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Yokohama, Japan, 2020. Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin 25. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2020.25.10.2000180 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ing AJ, Cocks C, Green JP. COVID-19: in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton. Thorax. 2020;75:693–694. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215091. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Liu K, Fang YY, Deng Y, Liu W, Wang MF, Ma JP, Xiao W, Wang YN, Zhong MH, Li CH, Li GC, Liu HG (2020) Clinical characteristics of novel coronavirus cases in tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province. Chin Med J (Engl). 10.1097/cm9.0000000000000744 - PMC - PubMed