COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on emergency surgical services: A mini-review

Abstract

Background: The global COVID-19 spread is unquestionably one of the leading obstacles of every healthcare system, patient, and healthcare professionals. This leading pandemic has immeasurable effects on every healthcare domain, including surgical care, especially surgical demand for emergency settings. Methods: An extensive data search was done from two leading databases Medline (PubMed) and Google Scholar, by using different keywords. The literature search was done both using individual and combination of keywords. All relevant data published from December 2019 to April 2021 were included and narratively analyzed. Results: Thirteen articles were selected based on COVID-19 and its consequences on emergency Surgical Services including recommendations, guidelines, prioritization, and reporting of surgical case reduction. Conclusion: This global COVID-19 pandemic had influenced all domains of surgery, including emergency surgery, which required urgent surgical attention. Training and multidisciplinary support are necessary for the surgical teams to perform in this critical situation.