Recommendations for head and neck surgical oncology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic

The speed and scale of the global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented pressures on health services worldwide, requiring new methods of service delivery during the health crisis. In the setting of severe resource constraint and high risk of infection to patients and clinicians, there is an urgent need to identify consensus statements on head and neck surgical oncology practice.

An international consensus group published their recommendations for head and neck surgical oncology practice in a setting of acute severe resource constraint during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a significant  risk of contagion for anesthetists, dentists, head and neck surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, ophthalmologists, and otolaryngologists.

A review summarizing some of the more readily available clinical protocols that can protect head and neck specialists caring for patients in an environment of a COVID-19 mediated COVID-19 pandemic was published by Kowalskiet al.   The authors recommend that for any care or intervention in the upper aerodigestive tract region, irrespective of the setting and a confirmed diagnosis (eg, rhinoscopy or flexible laryngoscopy in the outpatient setting and tracheostomy or rigid endoscopy under anesthesia), it is strongly It is recommended that all health care personnel wear personal protective equipment such as N95, gown, cap, eye protection, and gloves.