Assessment of the Preparedness and Planning of Academic Emergency Departments in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicentric Survey.

Vivek Gopinathan,Vimal Krishnan S,Freston Marc Sirur,Sanjan Asanaru Kunju,Jayaraj Mymbilly Balakrishnan

doi:10.1017/dmp.2021.73

Abstract

Emergency medicine being a young specialty in India, we aimed to assess the level of disaster preparedness and planning strategies among various academic emergency departments (EDs) across India during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A cross-sectional multicentric survey was developed and disseminated online to various academic EDs in India and followed up over a period of 8 wk. All results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Twenty-eight academic emergency medicine departments responded to the study. Compared with pre-COVID period, COVID-19 pandemic has led to 90% of centers developing separate triage system with dedicated care areas for COVID suspected/infected in 78.6% centers with nearly 70% using separate transportation pathways. Strategizing and executing the Institutional COVID-19 treatment protocol in 80% institutes were done by emergency physicians. Training exercises for airway management and personal protective equipment (PPE) use were seen in 93% and 80% centers, respectively. Marked variation in recommended PPE use was observed across EDs in India. Our study highlights the high variance in the level of preparedness response among various EDs across India during the pandemic. Preparedness for different EDs across India needs to be individually assessed and planned according to the needs and resources available.

Highlights

Hospitals and other health-care facilities play a critical role in national and local responses to emergencies during infectious disease outbreaks like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
A total of 28 institutes had participated in this study after obtaining consent from their respective institutions
A total of 89.3% institutes had an existing disaster preparedness committee among which 85.7% had a representation from emergency medicine (EM) as a part of their hospital disaster preparedness plan

Summary

Introduction

Hospitals and other health-care facilities play a critical role in national and local responses to emergencies during infectious disease outbreaks like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nations across the world with a devastating toll of 60 million cases worldwide with more than 1.42 million deaths as of writing this on November 26, 2020.1 The coronavirus is changing all of our lives and has led to a significant public health crisis with an impact on multiple domains and had disrupted lives, economies, and societies. The hospitals are expected to function even during the disaster with a massive patient surge catering to a safe environment for personnel in addition to providing essential medical care to the affected people.[2] Within the health-care system, the emergency department (ED) being the main entry point of patients to hospital care, it is of utmost importance that it should be optimally prepared to manage high-risk COVID-19 patients from triage to final disposition

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Discussion

Conclusion