CU Medicine Brochure

DANCES WITH A DISEASE: how CUMED takes on COVID-19 7 For Fellows to Follow Leading author Philip Chiu of safe endoscopy procedures The spread of SARS-CoV-2 is mainly through respiratory droplets or direct contact. But it can also travel via aerosols (tiny water particles in the air) which are abundant in the conduct of medical procedures including endoscopy. Performing endoscopy on infected patients therefore presents real and grave risks to healthcare professionals. Prof. Philip Chiu of the Department of Surgery and leading endoscopic surgeon led international experts to develop official guidance and position statements on endoscopic practice to minimize COVID-19 infection among healthcare professionals when they provide essential services to patients. In April 2020, Professor Chiu led 15 experts in developing the 11 position statements of the Asian Pacific Society for Digestive Endoscopy (APSDE-COVID statements). These include patient triage and risk assessment before endoscopy and go a long way to maintain safe and high-quality endoscopy practice under highly-stressed conditions. The International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE) issued its official guidance statements for the management of upper-GI endoscopy and surgery in the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. Professor Chiu is the leading author of its set of 14 recommendations that define a common pathway for managing the COVID-19 concerns of medical personnel involved in GI-endoscopy and surgery.