Detection of SARS-CoV-2 contamination in the operating room and birthing room setting: a cross-sectional study.

Authors:

Patricia E Lee Robert Kozak Nasrin Alavi Hamza Mbareche Rose C Kung Kellie E Murphy Darian Perruzza Stephanie Jarvi Elsa Salvant Noor Niyar N Ladhani Albert J M Yee Louise-Helene Gagnon Richard Jenkinson Grace Y Liu

CMAJ Open 2022 Apr-Jun;10(2):E450-E459. Epub 2022 May 24.

Divisions of Urogynecology and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (Lee, Kung, Gagnon, Liu), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto; Division of Microbiology (Kozak), Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Alavi, Mbareche, Perruzza, Jarvi, Salvant), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto; Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine (Murphy), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sinai Health System; Temerty Faculty of Medicine (Perruzza, Jarvi); Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine (Ladhani), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Divisions of Orthopaedic Surgery and Trauma Surgery (Yee, Jenkinson), Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.

Background: The exposure risks to front-line health care workers caring for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection undergoing surgery or obstetric delivery are unclear, and an understanding of sample types that may harbour virus is important for evaluating risk. We sought to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection undergoing surgery or obstetric delivery was present in the peritoneal cavity of male and female patients, in the female reproductive tract, in the environment of the surgery or delivery suite (surgical instruments or equipment used, air or floors), and inside the masks of the attending health care workers.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from November 2020 to May 2021 at 2 tertiary academic Toronto hospitals, during urgent surgeries or obstetric deliveries for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in patient, environmental and air samples was identified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Air samples were collected using both active and passive sampling techniques. The primary outcome was the proportion of health care workers' masks positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We included adult patients with positive RT-PCR nasal swab undergoing obstetric delivery or urgent surgery (from across all surgical specialties).

Results: A total of 32 patients (age 20-88 yr) were included. Nine patients had obstetric deliveries (6 cesarean deliveries), and 23 patients (14 male) required urgent surgery from the orthopedic or trauma, general surgery, burn, plastic surgery, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, gastroenterology and gynecologic oncology divisions. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 20 of 332 (6%) patient and environmental samples collected: 4 of 24 (17%) patient samples, 5 of 60 (8%) floor samples, 1 of 54 (2%) air samples, 10 of 23 (43%) surgical instrument or equipment samples, 0 of 24 cautery filter samples and 0 of 143 (95% confidence interval 0-0.026) inner surface of mask samples.

Interpretation: During the study period of November 2020 to May 2021, we found evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a small but important number of samples obtained in the surgical and obstetric operative environment. The finding of no detectable virus inside the masks worn by the health care teams would suggest a low risk of infection for health care workers using appropriate personal protective equipment.