Having a safe delivery is top of mind for all pregnant women and their partners. As hospitals and health care centers continue to address the COVID-19 pandemic, safety has become increasingly important, especially for those having a cesarean birth—a surgical delivery that generally requires a longer hospital stay than vaginal delivery. Angela Bianco, MD, Medical Director of Labor and Delivery for the Mount Sinai Health System, discusses the changes that have been implemented to ensure a safe delivery and post-operative recovery for cesarean birth patients and their newborns.
What extra precautions are taken to ensure patient safety during cesarean delivery and during their hospital stay?
Twenty four hours prior to scheduled deliveries, all women and their support persons are tested for COVID-19. Patients and visitors must wear a face covering while in the hospital. If needed, staff will provide a mask.
While all patients and staff are required to wear face coverings, knowledge of the patient’s COVID-19 status directs the use of appropriate protective equipment.
All health care workers have been trained in appropriate use of personal protective equipment to safeguard themselves and their patients. Additionally, we have separate teams that transport patients to and from the operating room if the patient is positive for COVID-19. Patients with the virus are placed on a separate floor rather than in our Post-operative Recovery Room. During the postpartum stay, they are assigned a single room to recover in to avoid spread.
All areas are continuously disinfected, including waiting rooms, patient rooms, and high-touch surfaces such as door knobs and kiosks. Patient rooms in particular receive a ceiling-to-floor cleaning between patients, which takes approximately two hours and includes several quality assurance checks.
Has the recovery stay been adjusted due to the virus?
Yes, we have recommended discharge on post-operative day two rather than post-operative day three. We made this recommendation to decrease the length of stay in order to reduce exposure to new mothers and their newborns in a hospital setting. If there is a need to be discharged later than post-operative day two, than the stay may be extended.
How are doctors keeping in touch with patients after discharge?
Post-discharge patients are called within the first week, typically three days following their release. Patients have a telehealth visit at two weeks, but this can also be an in- person appointment for those who require a site visit or who are unable to communicate with their physician via telehealth.
Since women are being discharged a day early, are there additional precautions that need to be taken once they go home?
Generally, no. When released, pregnant women and their partners are given the same discharge instructions for post-operative day two release as they would have been given for a day three release. Instructions include when to call for issues such as high blood pressure and headache or if patients have questions about wound care or breastfeeding.