From Dr Brzenski:
Today we had two asymptomatic outpatients who tested positive on their rapid COVID test prior to a surgery and a procedure. Should this happen to any of your elective outpatients there are certain steps that need to be undertaken before the patient can be escorted out to their transportation to return home.
- Call the ID pager to alert the ID team of the positive test for the patient.
- Order an ID COVID-19 referral to ensure that follow up occurs by the ID team.
- Ensure that the patient receives strict return precautions should they become symptomatic before being contacted by the ID team.
- The patient will be escorted out to their transportation with security.
The surgeons will need to follow up with their patients after the positive result with the goal to re-test the patient in 2 weeks. Currently the Infectious Disease team is recommending two negative tests for an elective outpatient procedure a week apart before the patient is rescheduled. The surgeons and infectious disease should handle much of these items, but you may be asked about how to proceed.
A document outlining the referral process is linked here. A button for this is also highlighted on top of our homepage.
