key: cord-0812838-hh9itsp6
authors: Vervoort, Dominique; Nguyen, Tom C.
title: Commentary: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in COVID-19 Patients: Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness
date: 2020-06-04
journal: J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.05.061
sha: 3860d2cdbc0d2c8e8a76e5eddafa121da0b89532
doc_id: 812838
cord_uid: hh9itsp6

nan

in COVID-19 patients, multi-systemic complications seem likely. COVID-19 patients present 21 with largely unknown pathophysiological profiles complicating the peri-and post-operative 22 course. Reports from Wuhan illustrated high case fatality rates among COVID-19-positive 23 thoracic surgical patients, hinting at concerning rates among cardiac patients. 3 Additionally, 24 the currently low sensitivity of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests makes it 25 difficult to adequately and timely assess pre-operative COVID-19 status, especially in 26 emergent and urgent settings. 4 We navigate through the early, dark days of the "new normal"-27 -a challenge we have to adapt to.

Clinical guidelines may, therefore, need to be re-considered during pandemics. The unpredictable impact of COVID-19 leads us to reexamine contemporary practices, 40 as illustrated by the fulminant complications in the authors' case report. 1 Here, n equals one 41 and further studies are clearly needed to unpack how practice may have to adapt for the sake 42 of our patients. Our field has been threatened before but prevailed due to its innovative spirit 43 and unparalleled leadership. COVID-19 is here to stay and in an ever-so-globalized world, 44 future outbreaks are not unlikely. As Martin Luther King, Jr. echoed, "Darkness cannot drive patients' lives.

COVID-19 Presenting after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

The challenge of achieving 1% operative 53 mortality for coronary artery bypass grafting: a multi-institution Society of Thoracic 54

Surgeons Database analysis

Clinical course of coronavirus disease 2019 in 11 57 patients after thoracic surgery and challenges in diagnosis

The importance of repeat testing in detecting 61 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a coronary artery bypass grafting patient 62