Awareness of Anesthesiology Practices in The COVID-19 Pandemic and COVID-19 Normalization Period


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İlyas Y., Akdoğan A., Şenel A. C.

Göğüs Kalp Damar Anestezi ve Yoğun Bakım Derneği Dergisi, vol.28, no.1, pp.42-49, 2022 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

Abstract

Objectives: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global epidemic. This study aims to assess anesthesiology and reanimation physicians’ knowledge of the anesthesiology practices published by the Turkish Republic Ministry of Health during pandemic period, their awareness in Turkey. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 2834 anesthesiologist physicians who are members of Turkish Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation. Data were collected online over 8 weeks using a questionnaire form by SurveyMonkey (San Mateo, CA) website after national and local ethics committee approval. Results: The study included 332 physicians (research associates and specialist physicians). Eighteen participants were excluded from the study since they merely gave their consent and did not respond to the questions. It was determined that participants’ level of awareness about the possibilities of protection during the pandemic period was high, a low level of awareness about preparation for the operating room and case management, and a high level of understanding about the normalization period. Conclusion: Anesthesiology and reanimation physicians had a moderate understanding and awareness of COVID-19 perioperative management. Physicians were observed to have inadequate knowledge of algorithms for personal protective equipment, equipment disinfection protocol, and general anesthesia. In this era of easier access to the current information, it is critical to maintaining the highest level of knowledge and awareness among anesthesiology and reanimation physicians who manage the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the continuity of training to transfer them to team members, and to carry out procedures following the recommendations.