Early institutional head and neck oncologic and microvascular surgery practice patterns across the United States during the SARS‐CoV ‐2 ( COVID19 ) pandemic

作者：Rusha J. Patel MD FACS; Alexandra Kejner MD FACS; Caitlin McMullen MD FACS

来源：Head and Neck-Journal for the Sciences and Specialties of the Head and Neck, 2020, 42(6): 1168-1172.

DOI：10.1002/hed.26189

• COVID‐19 pandemic
• Head and neck cancer treatment
• Head and neck surgery
• Microvascular reconstruction
• Practice patterns

BackgroundThe SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) pandemic has caused rapid changes in head and neck cancer (HNC) care. “Real‐time” methods to monitor practice patterns can optimize provider safety and patient care.MethodsHead and neck surgeons from 14 institutions in the United States regularly contributed their practice patterns to a shared spreadsheet. Data from 27 March 2020 to 5 April 2020 was analyzed.ResultsAll institutions had significantly restricted HNC clinic evaluations. Two institutions stopped free‐flap surgery with the remaining scheduling surgery by committee review. Factors contributing to reduced clinical volume included lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) (35%) and lack of rapid COVID‐19 testing (86%).ConclusionsThe COVID‐19 pandemic has caused a reduction in HNC care. Rapid COVID‐19 testing and correlation with infectious potential remain paramount to resuming the care of patients with head and neck cancer. Cloud‐based platforms to share practice patterns will be essential as the pandemic evolves.