PROVIDING EMERGENCY SURGICAL CARE TO PATIENTS IN A COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Among the features of surgical care for patients with COVID-19 are the need for strict compliance with the epidemiological regime, minimizing the number of staff in the operating room, the possible minimization of surgical interventions and reducing their duration. The most important task in these conditions is the safety of personnel. Materials and methods. The results of surgical treatment of 85 pa-tients with acute surgical pathology are presented, and the presence of the virus was confirmed by the results of laboratory tests in 75.3 %. 24.7 % of patients had a clear picture of pneumonia of viral etiology with a high probability. All operations were performed in compliance with the epidemiological regime by pre-trained and instructed per-sonnel in compliance with the rules of asepsis and antiseptics. Discussion of results. There are no fundamental changes in the tac-tics of management of patients with acute surgical pathology. Howev-er, in the presence of the patient, in addition to acute surgical disease, COVID-19 and viral pneumonia of varying severity, it is necessary to take into account the increased risk of both bacterial and thrombo-embolic complications. Conclusions. Given the limitations caused by the spread of COVID-19, emergency surgical care should be provided to all pa-tients in a timely, highquality and complete manner. Any action of the emergency surgical service must be justified by the specific situa-tion, with the absolute priority of public and patient safety.

P-EGS28 Management of obstructive jaundice secondary to gall stones in an ambulatory setting

Background Our data from Leeds shows a 30% increase in patient attendance to the Surgical Assesment Unit (SAU) across a 5 year period, putting unprecedented demands on the acute surgical service. A new Ambulatory Surgical Centre (ASC) was established for the advancement of ambulatory care pathways that would ensure that acute patients are seen promptly and kept safe with monitoring in an appropriate setting without needing admission to the hospital bed base. Gallstone related disease accounts for a third of patient attendance to the emergency surgical services. We present our experience with an ambulatory pathway to manage patients with obstructive jaundice caused by gall stones, and propose a protocol driven pathway. Methods The ASC operates an acute, consultant led clinic, with access to urgent blood tests and dedicated USS, CT and MRI imaging capacity, and offers a direct referral service from Primary Care Networks (PCNs) through the Primary Care Access Line (PCAL). Patients referred with clinical jaundice or RUQ/Epigastric pain are investigated for derangement in their liver function, and assessed for the presence and severity of Acute Cholangitis (AC), according to the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines. Patients without evidence of cholangitis, or with AC Grade I are planned for management in the ambulatory setting, including investigations, monitoring and endoscopic/surgical intervention. Outcome data was collected retrospectively from PCAL data source, spanning from Oct 2020 till July 2021. Results A total of 98 patients were referred to the acute surgical service during this period. Out of these, 47% had Grade II (n = 35) or Grade III (n = 17) AC. 48% were suitable for ambulatory management, with no evidence of AC(n = 5) or Grade I AC(n = 43). 20% patients were found to have a cause other than gall stone disease. 55% have undergone intervention (33 Laparoscopic cholecystectomies, 22 ERCP) while 12 are on the waiting list for surgery. Conclusions Our protocol offers a safe, comprehensive and timely pathway for the management of patients with gall stone related obstructed jaundice in an ambulatory setting. This has helped reduce the demand on hospital beds for surgical patients.

59. Risk Factors for Recurrent Gram-Negative Bacterial Bloodstream Infections

Background Gram-negative bacteria bloodstream infections (GNB-BSI) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Recurrent GNB-BSI is an incompletely understood phenomenon. In this study we identify risk factors for recurrent GNB-BSI. Methods Patients with GNB-BSI have been prospectively enrolled into the Bloodstream Infection Biorepository (BSIB) since 2002. From the BSIB, patients with >1 episode of GNB-BSI with the same bacterial species were identified. Chi-Square, Fisher Exact, and a multivariate linear regression models were used to identify clinical risk factors for recurrent GNB-BSI. Paired isolate samples from the initial and the recurrent episode of GNB-BSI in same patient underwent Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) to differentiate Relapse (paired isolates identical) from Reinfection (paired isolates different). Results Among the 1,423 unique patients with GNB-BSI enrolled from 2002- 2015, 60 (4.2%) experienced recurrent GNB-BSI with the same bacterial species. Median time to recurrent GNB-BSI was 133 d (IQR: 40-284.75 days). Causes of recurrent-GNB-BSI included Escherichia coli (38%), Klebsiella species (30%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%), and Serratia marcescens (5%) and did not differ from causes of non-recurrent GNB-BSI (Figure 1). Risk factors for recurrent GNB-BSI included Black race (OR: 2.45 [CI: 1.43-4.20]), implanted cardiac device (OR: 2.39 [CI: 1.00-5.07]), and admission to surgical service (OR: 2.16 [CI 1.24-3.75]). Forty-eight isolate-pairs from 43 patients with recurrent GNB-BSI underwent PFGE, relapse occurred in 31 (65%) and reinfection occurred in 17 (35%). Risk factors for GNB-BSI relapse included cardiac device (OR: 3.7 [CI: 1.7-8.3]), and admission to surgical service (OR: 3.7 [CI:1.3-9.4]). Figure 1: Species Breakdown Proportional comparison of the Gram-negative bacterial species identified in patients with recurrent and non-recurrent bloodstream infections. Conclusion Recurrent GNB-BSI is an uncommon complication of GNB-BSI. Recurrent GNB-BSI is most often driven by relapse, as opposed to reinfection, and is associated with associated with black race, implanted cardiac devices and admission to surgical service. Disclosures Vance G. Fowler, Jr., MD, MHS, Achaogen (Consultant)Advanced Liquid Logics (Grant/Research Support)Affinergy (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Affinium (Consultant)Akagera (Consultant)Allergan (Grant/Research Support)Amphliphi Biosciences (Consultant)Aridis (Consultant)Armata (Consultant)Basilea (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Bayer (Consultant)C3J (Consultant)Cerexa (Consultant, Other Financial or Material Support, Educational fees)Contrafect (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Debiopharm (Consultant, Other Financial or Material Support, Educational fees)Destiny (Consultant)Durata (Consultant, Other Financial or Material Support, educational fees)Genentech (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Green Cross (Other Financial or Material Support, Educational fees)Integrated Biotherapeutics (Consultant)Janssen (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Karius (Grant/Research Support)Locus (Grant/Research Support)Medical Biosurfaces (Grant/Research Support)Medicines Co. (Consultant)MedImmune (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Merck (Grant/Research Support)NIH (Grant/Research Support)Novadigm (Consultant)Novartis (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Pfizer (Grant/Research Support)Regeneron (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)sepsis diagnostics (Other Financial or Material Support, Pending patent for host gene expression signature diagnostic for sepsis.)Tetraphase (Consultant)Theravance (Consultant, Grant/Research Support, Other Financial or Material Support, Educational fees)Trius (Consultant)UpToDate (Other Financial or Material Support, Royalties)Valanbio (Consultant, Other Financial or Material Support, Stock options)xBiotech (Consultant)

EP.WE.213Short-term impact of COVID-19 on surgical services in a tertiary hospital

Aim Since December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has dramatically impacted the global landscape. One of the biggest challenges has been the additional strain put on healthcare systems. Although there are numerous studies on the effects of COVID-19 on intensive care beds and ventilator availability, there has been little exploration into the wider impacts of COVID-19 on the provision of other services. This study was designed to explore how COVID-19 has impacted surgical service provision at a large NHS hospital. Methods We compared the number and types of general surgical procedures carried out in a tertiary centre in the six months prior to the UK COVID-19 outbreak (September 2019-February 2020) and the six months after (March 2020-August 2020). Results We found that since March 2020 there has been a 70% decrease in the amount of operations taking place, with numbers dropping from a pre-COVID total of 1761 to a post-COVID total of 529. This mainly affected elective procedures with emergency surgeries remaining relatively constant (48 pre-COVID vs 44 post-COVID). Conclusion COVID-19 has caused a significant decrease in the number of surgeries being undertaken. This is due to a combination of factors including staffing issues, reduced investigative capacity, and national mandates on the cessation of non-urgent procedures. Although this mainly affected elective operations, it will have wider implications on future NHS workload and training. The knock on effects will inevitably result in a rise in delayed and emergency presentations with worse patient outcomes.

EP.WE.268Impact of COVID-19 on surgical services in a District General Hospital in the UK: benefits versus drawbacks

Background COVID-19 outbreak led to significant changes in health services worldwide. This study aims to assess the impact of this outbreak on the surgical services in a small District General Hospital and to highlight any benefits that we can take forward. Methods Data were collected retrospectively comparing the surgical service activity during the two months (April and May 2020) around the peak of COVID-19 first wave in the UK and the similar two-month period the year before when activity was at its usual pre-COVID level. A short questionnaire on the use and satisfaction of remote consultation was circulated to all hospital consultants. Results The total number of patients presenting to the emergency department in all specialities almost halved during the COVID-19 crisis. The number of emergency surgical admissions decreased. All elective lists were cancelled and more patients were managed conservatively. In April and May 2020, 156 patients had outpatient surgical consultations. Only 14 of them were face-to-face, whereas the rest were done either by telephone or video calls. This is compared to 472 patients who had face-to-face consultations in April and May 2019. The results of the questionnaire showed that over 90% of the consultants felt telemedicine consultations were satisfactory and that they would have an important role in the future. Conclusion COVID-19 had serious impacts on surgical services regarding cancellation of elective lists and prolongation of waiting time. Despite these drawbacks, the increased confidence with telemedicine services was a significant benefit.

EP.FRI.821 Operative Treatment of Abscesses – Optimising A Timely Route to Theatre

Aim 1st audit cycle to assess whether patients presenting to the acute surgical service had their abscesses incised and drained in a prompt and timely manner. To develop a pathway for improving efficiency Methods All general surgical patients admitted to the surgical admissions unit between 1st September and 31st October 2020 by reviewing clinical and operative notes. Only those patients that had abscesses drained under general anaesthesia. Other specialties abscesses were excluded. Guidelines from the American Society of Colon and Rectal surgeons for draining abscesses acutely were used. Data was collected on various parameters. Results A total of 62 patients had abscesses drained. The mean age of patients was 32 years. The average waiting time between decision to operate and surgery was 14 hours and 54 minutes. 19% of the patients were sent home after decision was made to operate and brought back in the morning. Conclusion This 1st audit cycle concludes long waiting times and unnecessary overnight stay. A re-audit will be carried out using the same parameters in March 2021. Implementing a dedicated general surgical abscess pathway for patients without significant co-morbidities will improve efficiency and patient satisfaction. References 1. Kumar C, Page R, Smith I, Stocker M, Tickner C, Williams S, et al. Day case and short stay surgery: 2. Anaesthesia. 2011;66(5):417–34. 2. Balakumar R, Samuel N, Jackson A, Butterworth J, Shiwani MH. Day-surgery approach for incision and drainage of an abscess. Surg Pract. 2016;20(4):157–60.

EP.WE.1Hybrid Surgical Hot Clinic (HSHC): evaluation of Surgical Hot Clinic services during COVID-19 lockdown

Aims Surgical Hot Clinic (SHC) is an acute emergency service for management provided on an outpatient basis in the United Kingdom. Following the start of global Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and as per the statement released by the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI), we modified SHC service to mainly provide telephonic follow-up with an occasional face-to-face service. Methods After developing a local pathway for SHC services during COVID-19 lockdown, a quality improvement audit was conducted from 30th March till 26th May 2020. Through this pathway, telephonic consultation carried out in most patients while for selective face-to-face consultation designated Medical Ambulatory area used. The analysis then performed using SPSS version 20 to assess the serviceability of modified hybrid SHC. Results Among 149 patients, 54(36.2%) were male, and 95(63.8%) were female, referred during Coronavirus lockdown. Out of these 149, 87(58.3%) referred from Accident & Emergency (A&E), 2(1.3%) from GP, 9(6.04%) after scan through radiology department while 51(34.2%) after discharge from hospital. Out of those who have telephonic consultation (n = 98), 12 patients were called in for review with either blood tests or further clinical examination. In total, only 10 out of 149 patients required admission to the hospital, either for intervention or symptomatic treatment. Conclusion Hybrid surgical hot clinic (HSHC) with both telephonic & face-to-face consultation, as per requirement, is flexible, effective and safe patient-focused acute surgical service during COVID-19 like a crisis.

293 A Reflection of Experience Gained in Emergency General Surgery During The COVID-19 Pandemic at A London University Hospital

Background During COVID-19, acute surgical services witnessed an overhaul of practice due to constraints on staff and resource (beds, imaging, and theater) availability. Fear of COVID-19, among general population potentially added to delay in patients seeking medical assistance. This study describes experiences of acute general surgery at a COVID-19 designated tertiary institution wherein elective surgical work was put on hold and emergency on-call rota was modified during the pandemic. Method A retrospective analysis (March-April 2019 vs 2020) of the surgical work from a prospectively maintained surgical database during COVID-19 was performed. Results Emergency surgical admissions during March 2020 vs 2019 was 106 vs 207. Comparing the workload March-April 2020 vs 2019, emergency referrals were 266 vs 341, operations performed 71 vs 92. 31.5% (84/266) of patients were tested for COVID and 30% (25/84) were positive. Emergency surgery was performed in 71 patients (including appendectomies (28), hernia repair(3), laparotomy(3), Hartman’s procedure(3), hemicolectomy(7) and anterior resection with covering ileostomy(2)). In this group, a male preponderance was noted (M:F 1.84:1), the average age was 43.2 years (6-91), length of stay 4.8 days (<23 hours-34 days). In the operative group, the 30-day mortality was 4.23% (3/71) and the morbidity was 31%. Conclusions With local changes, stopping elective services, modifying on-call rota, a surgical department can continue to be functional and offer emergency surgical service for a sustained period during a pandemic. During the COVID pandemic, the average number of referrals, admissions and surgeries were lower when compared to the non-covid period.