Articles: personal-protective-equipment.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2020
ReviewThe Cutting Edge of Thoracic Anesthesia During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has quickly spread globally, causing a real pandemic. In this critical scenario, lung cancer patients scheduled for surgical treatment need to continue to receive optimal care while protecting them from an eventual severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Adequate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and a COVID-19 specific intraoperative management are paramount in order to prevent cross infections. New suggestions or improvement of existing contagion control guidance are needed, even in case of non-symptomatic patients, possibly responsible for virus spread.
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At the beginning of the SARS-CoV‑2 outbreak, personal protective equipment (PPE) was scarce worldwide, leading to the treatment of patients partially without sufficient protection for the medical personnel. In order to be prepared for a new epidemic or pandemic or a "second wave" of COVID-19 outbreak and to meet a renewed deficiency of PPE, considerations were made on how personnel and patients can be better protected by appropriate provisioning. ⋯ The developed tool allows our hospital to estimate the necessary amount of PPE to be kept in stock for future pandemics. By taking local conditions into account this tool can also be helpful for other hospitals.
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Expert Rev Med Devices · Dec 2020
ReviewPersonal protective equipment during COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review on technical aspects.
Introduction: The current pandemic of novel Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a significant shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in many countries of the world, stressing medical services during this crisis. Along with addressing problems of demand and supply mismatch, there also a need to ensure the procurement of high-quality PPEs that provides both safety and comfort to users. The purpose of this article is to review existing standards and recommendations on the technical aspects of PPE. ⋯ Expert opinion: The design and materials of PPE needs further research, which might have minimal carriage of infective biological load like the use of antimicrobial repellent finishes along with adequate tensile strength and breathability through the fabric. Respirators should have the least resistance while providing maximum protection; goggles should not have fogging. Also, there is a need of formulating universal technical specifications for medically used PPE and ensuring easy availability of the testing facilities.
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Emerging Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare, First Response, and Public Safety Personnel, Detroit Metropolitan Area, Michigan, USA, May-June 2020.
To estimate seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among healthcare, first response, and public safety personnel, antibody testing was conducted in emergency medical service agencies and 27 hospitals in the Detroit, Michigan, USA, metropolitan area during May-June 2020. Of 16,403 participants, 6.9% had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. ⋯ Working in a hospital emergency department increased the likelihood of seropositivity (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.002-1.35). Consistently using N95 respirators (aOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95) and surgical facemasks (aOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75-0.98) decreased the likelihood of seropositivity.