Articles: personal-protective-equipment.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Dec 2020
Adult cardiovascular surgery and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: the Italian experience.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected all health care professionals. The outbreak required a thorough reorganization of the Italian regional local health care system to preserve resources such as ventilators, beds in intensive care units and surgical and anaesthesiological staff. Levels of priority were created, together with a rigorous triage procedure for patients with COVID-19, which led to postponement of all elective procedures. ⋯ Systemic inflammation, cytokine storm and hypercoagulability associated with COVID-19 increased the risk of heart failure and cardiac death. In this regard, the early use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation could be life-saving in patients with severe forms of acute respiratory distress syndrome or refractory heart failure. The goal of this paper was to report the Italian experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in the setting of cardiovascular surgery.
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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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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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Preventive medicine · Dec 2020
ReviewContributing factors to personal protective equipment shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study investigates the forces that contributed to severe shortages in personal protective equipment in the US during the COVID-19 crisis. Problems from a dysfunctional costing model in hospital operating systems were magnified by a very large demand shock triggered by acute need in healthcare and panicked marketplace behavior that depleted domestic PPE inventories. ⋯ We conclude that market prices are not appropriate mechanisms for rationing inputs to health because health is a public good. Removing the profit motive for purchasing PPE in hospital costing models, strengthening government capacity to maintain and distribute stockpiles, developing and enforcing regulations, and pursuing strategic industrial policy to reduce US dependence on imported PPE will help to better protect healthcare workers with adequate supplies of PPE.
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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.