SHORT COMMUNICATION   Free access

Minerva Urologica e Nefrologica 2020 June;72(3):369-75

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-2249.20.03846-1

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Urology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic

Vincenzo FICARRA ¹ ✉, Giacomo NOVARA ², Alberto ABRATE ³, Riccardo BARTOLETTI ⁴, Alessandro CRESTANI ⁵, Cosimo DE NUNZIO ⁶, Gianluca GIANNARINI ⁷, Andrea GREGORI ⁸, Giovanni LIGUORI ⁹, Vincenzo MIRONE ¹⁰, Nicola PAVAN ⁹, Roberto M. SCARPA ¹¹, Alchiede SIMONATO ^{3, 12}, Carlo TROMBETTA ⁹, Andrea TUBARO ⁶, Francesco PORPIGLIA ¹³ on behalf of Research Urology Network (RUN)

¹ Section of Urology, Department of Human and Pediatric Pathology Gaetano Barresi, University of Messina, Messina, Italy; ² Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, Urology Clinic, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; ³ Section of Urology, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; ⁴ Unit of Urology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; ⁵ Unit of Urology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy; ⁶ Department of Urology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ⁷ Unit of Urology, Santa Maria della Misericordia Academic Medical Center, Udine, Italy; ⁸ Unit of Urology, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy; ⁹ Department of Urology, Cattinara Hospital, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy; ¹⁰ Department of Urology, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy; ¹¹ Department of Urology, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy; ¹² Urology Unit, Department of Surgery, S. Croce e Carle Hospital, Cuneo, Italy; ¹³ Division of Urology, Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, San Luigi Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Turin, Italy

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the disease it causes, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is generating a rapid and tragic health emergency in Italy due to the need to provide assistance to an overwhelming number of infected patients and, at the same time, treat all the non-deferrable oncological and benign conditions. A panel of Italian urologists has agreed on possible strategies for the reorganization of urological routine practice and on a set of recommendations that should facilitate the process of rescheduling both surgical and outpatient activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the subsequent phases. This document could be a valid tool to be used in routine clinical practice and, possibly, a cornerstone for further discussion on the topic also considering the further evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also may provide useful recommendations for national and international urological societies in a condition of emergency.

KEY WORDS: Coronavirus; COVID-19; Pandemics; Urology; Practice guideline; Surgery