This study evaluates operative and non-operative management of acute appendicitis (infection or inflammation of the appendix) and acute cholecystitis (inflammation/infection of the gallbladder) in patients with active mild to moderate COVID-19 infection. The hypothesis is that COVID+ patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis or acute cholecystitis amendable to a laparoscopic procedure can have safe operative outcomes compared to those managed non-operatively.
As the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disseminates across the United States, more routine preoperative testing is going to expose infected patients with no or mild pneumonia symptoms. Currently, little is known regarding the true consequences of general anesthesia in COVID-positive (COVID+) patients. Surgeons are going to face challenging decisions regarding whether or not to operate for non-elective cases requiring general anesthesia when non-operative treatment options exist. Patients with acute appendicitis are usually treated with an operation to remove the appendix, but they can also be initially treated with antibiotics and have an operation at a later date. Similarly, patients with acute cholecystitis are usually treated with an operation to remove the gallbladder, but they can be treated with antibiotics and a percutaneous cholecystostomy tube (a tube that going through the skin to drain the gallbladder) and have an operation at a later date. However, patients managed without a definitive operation may require more resource utilization, PPE consumption, interactions with hospital personnel, and could experience treatment failures that exacerbate their viral illness. This is a pilot study comparing the safety of operative versus non-operative management of COVID+ patients with mild to moderate symptoms.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
2
Patients will undergo surgical removal of the affected organ. The initial approach will be in a minimally invasive, laparoscopic fashion. If necessary, conversion to an open operation may be performed. These patients will be treated preoperatively and postoperatively with similar antibiotic regimens, however the duration of antibiotic therapies will be dependent on factors such as intraoperative findings, resolution of laboratory abnormalities, and tolerance of oral medications.
Patients will be treated with 3 days of intravenous antibiotics followed by 7 days of oral antibiotics, as described below: Non-penicillin allergic patients * piperacillin/tazobactam 3.375g IV every 6 hours for 3 days * amoxicillin/clavulanate 875/125mg by mouth every 12 hours for 7 days Penicillin allergic patients * ertapenem 1g IV every 24 hours for 3 days * ciprofloxacin 500mg every 12 hours AND metronidazole 500mg every 8 hours for 7 days Patients may be considered to have failed non-operative management (e.g. treatment failure) if they experience absence of clinical improvement, worsening abdominal pain and/or localized/diffuse peritonitis in the judgment of the treating surgeon at any point within the study window. If this occurs, then surgeons may proceed with rescue appendectomy or percutaneous drainage in the setting of appendicitis, or with placement of a percutaneous cholecystostomy tube in the setting of acute cholecystitis.
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Number of Participants With Pulmonary Complications
Including pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or unexpected postoperative ventilation For operative management this means any episode of non-invasive ventilation, invasive ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after initial extubation after surgery, or patient cannot be extubated as planned after surgery. For non-operative management this means any intubation
Time frame: Up to 90 days
Number of Participants With Post-intervention ICU Admission
ICU admission following randomization
Time frame: Up to 90 days
Mortality (All Cause)
Any death
Time frame: Up to 90 days
Complications as Measured by the Clavien-Dindo Classification
The Clavien-Dindo classification is a grading scale from 1 to 5 (with 5 being more severe0 to objectively describe the severity of a complication, including any deviation from the normal postoperative course
Time frame: Up to 90 days
Median Length of Hospital Stay
Cumulative and individual length of hospitalization(s)
Time frame: Up to 90 days
Number of Emergency Room Visits/Readmission
Time frame: Up to 90 days
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