ABSTRACTS OF THE 31st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ITALIAN SOCIETY OF URO-ONCOLOGY (SIUrO): 30 September - 2 October 2021, Virtual Meeting

Background/Aim: Covid-19 pandemic has led to profound changes in healthcare system in Italy as well as in other countries showing a rapid spread of the disease (1). Italian hospitals modified their usual practice to ensure adequate number of beds for COVID-19 patients. The common management of admitted patients changed to reduce the risk of transmission and parent's visits were strongly limited. Moreover, fear and anxiety caused patients to delay appropriate treatment, resulting in poor outcomes. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the major nosocomial infections. In more than 80% of cases it is related to urological diseases, especially linked to infective stone disease and use of urinary drainages. Pre-operative and post-operative infections are a main challenge in everyday urologic activity. The aim of the present study was to compare the incidence of nosocomial urinary infection during the pandemic period of 2020 with the non-pandemic period of 2019 to investigate the prophylactic role of the strict antiseptic rules adopted during pandemic. Materials and Methods: According with the aims of the study the files of the patients submitted to urological interventions in a 3-month period (March-May) 2019 and (March-May) 2020 were reviewed. A dedicated database was generated. Patients' clinical pre-operative characteristics, including smoking status and BMI were recorded. Charlson comorbidity index and main comorbidities with particular attention to cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurological diseases, diabetes and hypertension were included. Symptoms, fever, laboratory data and urine culture were recorded pre-intra- and postoperatively when available. Urological surgery was classified in five categories: i) major abdominal surgery, (both open and laparoscopic), ii) endoscopic intervention upper urinary tract, iii). endoscopic intervention lower urinary tract, iv) minor open surgery, v) nephrostomy and ureteral stenting. Post-operative complications were classified according to Clavien-Dindo score. The data obtained were submitted to statistical analysis to compare the two different 3-month periods, pre-pandemic in 2019 and pandemic in 2020. The association of the treatment period with categorical variables was assessed using χ2 test. All p-values were two-sided and statistical significance was defined as p