Preoperative Risk Factors and Postoperative Complications of COVID-Positive Children Requiring Urgent or Emergent Surgical Care

Abstract

BackgroundPreoperative COVID-19 testing protocols were widely implemented for children requiring surgery, leading to increased resource consumption and many delayed or canceled operations or procedures. This study using multi-center data investigated the relationship between preoperative risk factors, COVID-positivity, and postoperative outcomes among children undergoing common urgent and emergent procedures. MethodsChildren (<18 years) who underwent common urgent and emergent procedures were identified in the 2021 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database. The outcomes of COVID-positive and non-COVID-positive (negative or untested) children were compared using simple and multivariable regression models. ResultsAmong 40,628 children undergoing gastrointestinal surgery (appendectomy, cholecystectomy), long bone fracture fixation, cerebrospinal fluid shunt procedures, gonadal procedures (testicular detorsion, ovarian procedures), and pyloromyotomy, 576 (1.4%) were COVID-positive. COVID-positive children had higher American Society of Anesthesiologists scores (p ≤ 0.001) and more frequently had preoperative sepsis (p ≤ 0.016) compared to non-COVID-positive children; however, other preoperative risk factors, including comorbidities, were largely similar. COVID-positive children had a longer length of stay than non-COVID-positive children (median 1.0 [IQR 0.0–2.0] vs. 1.0 [IQR 0.0–1.0], p < 0.001). However, there were no associations between COVID-19 positivity and overall complications, pulmonary complications, infectious complications, or readmissions. ConclusionsDespite increased preoperative risk factors, COVID-positive children did not have an increased risk of postoperative complications after common urgent and emergent procedures. However, length of stay was greater for COVID-positive children, likely due to delays in surgery related to COVID-19 protocols. These findings may be applicable to future preoperative testing and surgical timing guidelines related to respiratory viral illnesses in children. Level of EvidenceIII.