• Sabrina Hui-Na Ngaserin, Frederick H Koh, Biauw-Chi Ong, and Min-Hoe Chew.
• Department of Surgery, Sengkang General Hospital, 110 Sengkang East Way, Singapore, 544886, Singapore.
• Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2020 May 1; 405 (3): 353-355.

PurposeCOVID-19 greatly affected millions and affected the way we practice with heightened posture in the way we treat surgical patients. Surgical consensus guidelines are recommending caution in the use of laparoscopy for the theoretical possibility of viral transmission from aerosolization of tissue and peritoneal fluid during surgery. However, there has yet to be proof of COVID-19 being present in peritoneal fluid, justifying the consensus statements. We aim to assess the presence of COVID-19 in peritoneal fluid.MethodsWe performed a laparoscopic appendicectomy for a COVID-19-infected patient with acute appendicitis. Peritoneal fluid and peritoneal washings were collected and sent for COVID-19 PCR.ResultsThe peritoneal fluid sample collected on entry and at the end of the operation was negative for COVID-19 on PCR. The patient had an uneventful recovery from surgery.ConclusionsThis case revealed that COVID-19 was not detected in peritoneal fluid and peritoneal washings in a patient infected with COVID-19. This study provides novel preliminary data in the investigation of COVID-19 transmission from laparoscopy-related aerosolization.

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