The importance of repeat testing in detecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in a coronary artery bypass grafting patient

Fisher, Bryant; Seese, Laura; Sultan, Ibrahim; Kilic, Arman

While elective cardiac surgeries have been postponed to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) transmission and to reduce resource utilization, patients with urgent indications necessitating surgery may still be at risk of contracting the disease throughout their postoperative recovery. We present a case of an 81‐year‐old female who underwent urgent coronary artery bypass grafting and was readmitted following discharge to a nursing facility with a cluster of COVID‐19 cases. Despite symptomatology and imaging concerning for COVID‐19, two initial reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) tests were negative but a third test was positive. This case emphasizes the risks of discharge location in the COVID‐19 era as well as the importance of clinical suspicion, early isolation practices for those presumed positive, and repeat testing, given the marginal sensitivity of available COVID‐19 RT‐PCR.