A new human coronavirus responsible for pneumonia, SARS-CoV-2, emerged in China in December 2019 and has spread rapidly worlwide. COVID-19, the disease caused by this virus, has a very polymorphous clinical presentation, which ranges from upper respiratory tract infections to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Research institutions are working restlessly to elucidate the physiopathology of COVID-19 to develop new and more efficacious strategies on diagnosis, treatment and prevention planning. However, many aspects of the disease process are still unknown. Despite the lack of complete understanding of COVID-19, recommandations from world health authorities to surgical societies have been published in order to prevent viral transmission within the hospital setting. Concerning prevention of viral transmission during laparoscopy on confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, strict measures were taken to protect surgical and anesthesia staff. These recommandations are mainly based on avoiding leak of pneumoperitoneum during surgical exploration as it may represent a potential source of viral transmission, eventhough there is no scientific evidence on it. The lack of evidence of this mode of transmission makes difficult to develop more appropriate and efficacious recommandations. This study is designed to assess for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the peritoneal serosa during emergency laparoscopy on confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. During laparoscopic surgical exploration, 3 samples of pneumoperitoneum will be taken in 3 standardized steps of the procedure. Two more other samples of peritoneal effusion or peritoneal lavage (in the absence of peritoneal effusion) and bile (if cholecystectomy is performed) will also be collected.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the virus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the disease COVID-19, is present in the abdominal cavity during emergency laparoscopic exploration in confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients.