Successful adaptation during COVID-19 pandemic: suspected head and neck cancer biopsies under local anaesthetic

• Autor(a) principal: Cooper, Fergus
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Baig, Hassan, Asimakopoulos, Panagiotis, W Ah-See, Kim, Shakeel, Muhammad
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: MedNEXT Journal of Medical and Health Sciences
• Texto Completo: https://mednext.zotarellifilhoscientificworks.com/index.php/mednext/article/view/7
• topic: COVID-19; Pandemic; Head and neck cancer; Biopsy; Local anaestheticm; Outpatient

Patients with a suspicious lesion in the head and neck region, including the pharynx and larynx, often undergo biopsy under general anaesthetic. This is a long established practice but lately, biopsy of such lesions under local anaesthetic in the outpatient setting is promoted. During the current COVID-19 pandemic our access to the operating theatre is significantly reduced. We have, therefore, modified our practice to allow us to carry out such biopsies under local anaesthetic in the outpatient setting. We share our experience with 20 patients who successfully underwent this procedure. The patients reported no adverse effects. We would encourage colleagues in other units to consider this option when dealing with such patients during the pandemic.