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The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic requires an analysis in the field of oncological surgery, both on the risk of infection, with very relevant clinical consequences, and on the need to generate plans to minimize the impact on possible restrictions on health resources. The AEC is making a proposal for the management of patients with hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) malignancies in the different pandemic scenarios in order to offer the maximum benefit to patients, minimising the risks of COVID-19 infection, and optimising the healthcare resources available at any time. This requires the coordination of the different treatment options between the departments involved in the management of these patients: medical oncology, radiotherapy oncology, surgery, anaesthesia, radiology, endoscopy department and intensive care. The goal is offer effective treatments, adapted to the available resources, without compromising patients and healthcare professionals safety., (Copyright © 2020 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

In view of the current pandemic by SARS-CoV-2 it deems essential to understand the key concepts about the infection: its epidemiological origin, presentation, clinical course, diagnosis and treatment (still experimental in many cases). The knowledge about the virus is still limited, but as the pandemic progresses and the physiopathology of the disease is understood, new evidence is being massively published. Surgical specialists are facing an unprecedented situation: they must collaborate in the ER or medical wards attending these patients, while still needing to make decisions about surgical patients with probable COVID-19. The present narrative review aims to summarize the most relevant aspects and synthetize concepts on COVID-19 for surgeons., (Copyright © 2020 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: The knowledge of the grade of implementation of preventative measures for surgical site infection (SSI) is crucial prior to planning dissemination strategies., Methods: Online survey among the members of the Spanish Association of Surgeons (AEC) to know the actual application of measures, and to compare them with new recommendations issued by international organizations., Results: Most of the 835 responding surgeons work in National Health Service Hospitals (91.3%). Surgeons of all super-specialties answered. 90.4% of responders recommend a preoperative shower, with normal soap or chlorhexidine. 60% recommend hair removal, preferably clipping, although 30% still recommend shaving. Povidone-iodine in aqueous solution or chlorhexidine in alcohol are used for skin preparation. Only 51.9% of surgeons allow solution to air drying before applying surgical drapes. In 83.2% of cases surgeons operate with a single pair of gloves. Perioperative normothermia and hyperoxia were used in 92% and 27.9% of cases, respectively. At the end of the procedure, peritoneal and wound lavage are used, in most cases with saline. Antimicrobial impregnated sutures are rarely used (85.7%) by surgeons, and 32% occasionally use negative pressure therapy on the closed wound., Conclusions: There is great variability in the level of awareness and application of the main measures of SSI prevention among Spanish surgeons. Several areas for improvement have been detected, as core prevention measures are not in common use, and discontinued practices are continued to be used. These practices should be addressed by the AEC by drafting specific recommendations for the prevention of SSI in Spanish hospitals., (Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. All rights reserved.)