Opinion Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Virol. Oct 25, 2020; 9(4): 47-53
Published online Oct 25, 2020. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v9.i4.47
Management strategies in a thoracic surgery ward during COVID-19 pandemic: Experience from West China Hospital
Lin Lin, Ling-Li Niu, E Zheng, Yong Yuan, Ning Ning, Mei Yang
Lin Lin, Ling-Li Niu, E Zheng, Mei Yang, West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Lin Lin, Ling-Li Niu, E Zheng, Yong Yuan, Mei Yang, Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Ning Ning, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Yang M conceived of and designed the study; Lin L and Niu LL finished the first draft; Zheng E carried out the literature research; Yuan Y and Ning N revised the manuscript for important intellectual content; all authors read and approved the manuscript for publication.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mei Yang, Associate Chief Nurse, Nurse, Department of Thoracic surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. yangmei69@126.com
Received: May 12, 2020
Peer-review started: May 12, 2020
First decision: July 25, 2020
Revised: August 3, 2020
Accepted: September 2, 2020
Article in press: September 2, 2020
Published online: October 25, 2020
Processing time: 165 Days and 18 Hours
Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 was first reported in Wuhan in December 2019 and then spread rapidly throughout the world. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 a pandemic. In response to the pandemic, the management division of West China Hospital oversaw the implementation of hospital-wide emergency measures. In accordance with these measures, the hospital's thoracic surgery ward implemented a new management system by reformulating staff training plans, patient admission procedures, and other systems for managing the ward and protecting perioperative patients. Overall, the ward was successful in restoring normal working order, protecting all staff from occupational exposures, and ensuring the safety of inpatients and their families.

Keywords: COVID-19; Thoracic surgery; Thoracic surgery ward management; SARS-CoV-2; Epidemic prevention and control; Nosocomial infection

Core Tip: This study describes a specific approach to preventing a coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in the thoracic surgery ward at a hospital in West China. We believe that our study will make a significant contribution to the literature. It documents lessons learned in developing and deploying a system to protect staff and vulnerable inpatients during the unprecedented and highly challenging situation that has been the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.