Management of Adult Inpatient Otolaryngologic Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Proposed Tier-Based Triage System

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed tremendous strain on health care systems, leading to unprecedented challenges and obstacles in the delivery of patient care. Otolaryngologists are frequently called on for inpatient consultations for an array of pathologies, ranging from ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery 2020-08, Vol.163 (2), p.330-334
Main Authors: Hussaini, Adnan S., Clark, Christine M., Patel, Atur A., Russo, Mark E., Chia, Stanley H., Davidson, Bruce J., Malekzadeh, Sonya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
2019
Adult
Algorithms
Betacoronavirus
consultations
coronavirus
Coronavirus Infections - complications
Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis
COVID-19
Endoscopy
Humans
inpatient
Inpatients
Otolaryngology
Pandemics
Personal Protective Equipment
Pneumonia, Viral - complications
Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis
Referral and Consultation
safety
SARS-CoV-2
system
Telemedicine
tier
tier‐based
triage
Triage - methods
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Summary:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed tremendous strain on health care systems, leading to unprecedented challenges and obstacles in the delivery of patient care. Otolaryngologists are frequently called on for inpatient consultations for an array of pathologies, ranging from chronic benign conditions to acutely life-threatening processes. Professional otolaryngologic societies across the world have proposed limiting patient care to time-sensitive and urgent matters; however, limited literature is available to describe how this transient change in philosophy may translate to clinical practice. Here we present a structured algorithm that allows for rapid triage of otolaryngologic consults during the ongoing pandemic, in efforts to minimize infectious spread and protect clinicians while preserving high-quality patient care. Considerations for managing these consults are presented, with a commentary on practical and ethical considerations.
ISSN:0194-5998
1097-6817
DOI:10.1177/0194599820931011