Health care workers are at risk of infection from aerosolization of respiratory secretions, droplet and contact spread. This has gained great importance after the COVID19 pandemic. Intra-operative aerosol-generating procedures are arguably unavoidable in the routine provision of thoracic anesthesia. Airway management for such patients during the COVID-19 pandemic including tracheal intubation, lung isolation, one-lung ventilation and flexible bronchoscopy may pose a significant risk to healthcare professionals and patients. The thoracic anesthetic community has been confronted with the need to modify existing techniques to maximize safety for patients and healthcare professionals.
Keywords: Airway; Anesthesia. thoracic surgery; COVID-19; Lung isolation; One-lung ventilation; Personal protective equipment.
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