Shoe Cover Research Articles

Experience with Using Personal Protective Equipment among Korean Healthcare Personnel: For the Development of Better Products

Background: Although various difficulties and self-contamination concerns have been continuously reported regarding the use of personnel protective equipment (PPE) among healthcare personnel (HCP), better PPE options are unavailable in healthcare settings. This study aimed to thoroughly examine HCP’s PPE experience to develop improved PPE. Method: By sending cooperation requests to eight academic societies (e.g., Korean Society of Infectious Disease, Korean Society of Critical Care Nursing), four hospitals (e.g., National Medical Center), and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 250 HCP who had direct patient contact with emerging infectious diseases were recruited. The questionnaire with 65 main questions (211 maximum including sub-questions and 19 open-ended questions) was developed in detail (e.g., use frequency, priority check among the options) based on literature reviews and verified by an expert panel. Through an online survey link, participants completed the questionnaire between December 6-11, 2023, and received a $53 incentive. Descriptive statistics were performed for data analysis. Results: Among 250 participants, most were female (80%), in their thirties (46.4), nurses (78%,), working at general hospitals (56%), and averaged 121.1 months of clinical experience (Table 1). Among 6 PPE sets (Figure 1), 29% of participants used Set #2 (i.e., disposable water-proof gown, gloves, goggles/face shield, hair cap, and N95 mask) and 26% used Set #3 (i.e., Level D, gloves, goggles/face shield, shoe cover, N95 mask, and hair cap). 64% of HCP preferred Set #2 due to practical aspects (e.g., simple, convenient, safer than Set #1, and easy donning/doffing). Most PPE sets were largely used for 30 minutes to 1 hour (except level D, to 2 hours). Most prioritized difficulties of PPE use were: disposable mask dampness; pressure pain on the wearing area for N95 masks; powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) wear takes a long time; sweating for gloves, waterproof gowns, and level D/C coveralls; skin exposed through torn gloves; blurry visibility for goggles/face shield; hearing difficulty for hoods; and a slippery bottom for shoe covers. Moments for self-contamination concerns were: adjusting PPE that has slipped down (e.g., masks, gowns, gloves, goggles/face shield, and hoods); doffing hood procedure (e.g., PAPR); and skin contact of shoe cover surfaces during doffing. Most difficulties when using PPE combinations were unfamiliarity with donning/doffing procedures. Participants wish to develop various PPE sizes which can be easily donned/doffed intuitively (e.g., well-ventilated integral PPE). Conclusion: Collaboration with manufacturers based on our results is necessary to develop better PPE options for HCP’s safety and satisfaction.

Effects of Wearing Personal Protective Equipment on Serum Cortisol Levels and Physiological Variables in Healthcare Workers: A Randomised Controlled Trial in a Simulated Pandemic Environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the widespread use of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly in high-risk environments. Full-body PPE is favoured for its comprehensive protection against the virus but poses challenges to the body's thermoregulatory system as it inhibits air exchange. This randomised trial was undertaken to investigate the effects of wearing a commonly used gown-type full-body PPE kit in a simulated environment. Initially, 65 healthy males were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: a study group wearing a full-body PPE kit (gown-type, full-body PPE kit with trousers, a gown-type shirt with a hood, a shoe cover, an N95 face mask, and an optional face shield) and a control group without PPE. They remained seated for three hours while wearing the PPE kit. Room conditions mimicked non-air-conditioned hospital scenarios, with temperature and humidity recorded and ventilation provided through open doors and windows, along with ceiling fan cooling. Activities with minimal physical exertion were allowed, and access to the toilet was kept to a minimum. Subjects underwent assessments of heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), and blood samples for serum cortisol before donning the PPE kit and entering a simulated ICU/WARD environment and after doffing. A total of 60 participants completed the study (30 in each group). Compared to the controls, serum cortisol levels significantly increased in the PPE groups, and HRV data indicated increased sympathetic activity in the PPE group. Wearing a full-body PPE kit (gown-type upper garment with trousers) was found to have a significant impact on cortisol levels and physiological variables in a simulated environment. This suggests that in situations like the COVID-19 pandemic that warrant the use of such PPE kits, appropriate measures should be taken to provide better thermal stability for maintaining the well-being of healthcare workers.

Plastic Waste-Derived Carbon Dots: Insights of Recycling Valuable Materials Towards Environmental Sustainability.

Carbon dots (CDs) or carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as rising stars in the carbon family due to their diverse applications in various fields. CDs are spherical particles with a well-distributed size of less than 10nm. Functional CDs are promising nanomaterials with low toxicity, low cost, and enormous applications in the field of bioimaging, optoelectronics, photocatalysis, and sensing. Plastic is non-biodegradable and hazardous to the environment, however extremely durable and used in abundance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of plastic waste, particularly masks, goggles, face shields, and shoe cover, has increased tremendously. It needs to be recycled in a productive way as plastic wastes take hundreds or thousands of years to degrade naturally. The conversion of plastic waste into magnificent CDs has been reported as one of the key alternatives for environmental sustainability and socio-economic benefits. In this review, synthetic routes for the conversion of plastic wastes into CDs utilizing hydrothermal, solvothermal, pyrolysis, flash joule heating, and characterization of these CDs using different techniques, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscope, have been discussed. Furthermore, potential applications of these plastic-derived CDs in sensing, catalysis, agronomics, and LED lights are summarized herein.

Multidrug-Resistant TB (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug-Resistant TB (XDR-TB) Among Children: Where We Stand Now.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) has continued to be a global health cataclysm. It is an arduous condition to tackle but is curable with the proper choice of drug and adherence to the drug therapy. WHO has introduced newer drugs with all-oral shorter regimens, but the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the achievements and raised the severity. The COVID-19 controlling mechanism is based on social distancing, using face masks, personal protective equipment, medical glove, head shoe cover, face shield, goggles, hand hygiene, and many more. Around the globe, national and international health authorities impose lockdown and movement control orders to ensure social distancing and prevent transmission of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, WHO proposed a TB control program impaired during a pandemic. Children, the most vulnerable group, suffer more from the drug-resistant form and act as the storehouse of future fatal cases. It has dire effects on physical health and hampers their mental health and academic career. Treatment of drug-resistant cases has more success stories in children than adults, but enrollment for treatment has been persistently low in this age group. Despite that, drug-resistant childhood tuberculosis has been neglected, and proper surveillance has not yet been achieved. Insufficient reporting, lack of appropriate screening tools for children, less accessibility to the treatment facility, inadequate awareness, and reduced funding for TB have worsened the situation. All these have resulted in jeopardizing our dream to terminate this deadly condition. So, it is high time to focus on this issue to achieve our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the goal of ending TB by 2030, as planned by WHO. This review explores childhood TB's current position and areas to improve. This review utilized electronic-based data searched through PubMed, Google Scholar, Google Search Engine, Science Direct, and Embase.

CHARACTERIZATION OF FOUR MAIN SALMONELLA SEROVARS, ALBANY, KENTUCKY, MBANDAKA, AND MONTEVIDEO, ASSOCIATED WITH CHICKEN LINES, FARMS, AND SAMPLE SOURCES IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN

Poultry and its products are often referred to as reservoirs of Salmonella to infect humans. Salmonella serovars were determined from samples of terminated eggs (early-terminated eggs, EEs, and late-terminated eggs, LEs) on farms YA (layers), YB (native hybrid broilers, NHCs), and YF (NHCs); one-day-old chicks (OCs) on farm YB; and shoe covers (SCs) on farms YB, YC (broilers), YD (broilers), YE (NHCs), and YF using multiplex PCR and agglutination methods. One hundred isolates were examined for susceptibility to 13 antimicrobials and profiles of pulsotypes and plasmids. Nine serovars were identified as serogroup B Agona and Schwarzengrund, serogroup C1 Montevideo and Mbandaka, serogroup C2 Albany, Kentucky and Newport, serogroup E Weltevreden, and serogroup G Kedougou. Different from those in 2003, Albany, Kentucky, Montevideo, and Mbandaka were the predominant serovars that differed in chromosomal and plasmid variations and antibiogram profiles. Albany and Kentucky isolates had higher resistance levels to the antimicrobials than the Montevideo and Mbandaka isolates. The antibiogram differences among the serovars may be related to the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella genomic island 1-F (SGI1-F) and plasmids in Albany isolates. Albany and Kentucky exhibited the largest chromosomal and plasmid variations, respectively. The main serovars associated with embryogenesis termination were Mbandaka and Montevideo in EEs and LEs, Newport in NHCs, and Kedougou in LEs from layers. Furthermore, Montevideo and Agona were the only serovars detected in OCs, and Albany and Kentucky were the main serovars on SCs. Farm management also affected the Salmonella prevalence and predominant serovars.

Analysis of the Protective Effect of Infection Controllers Supervising Third-Party Personnel Entering and Leaving Shanghai Fangcang Shelter Hospital.

To analyze the impact of the new supervision and management methods of infection controllers on the protection of third-party personnel entering and leaving Shanghai Fangcang shelter hospital, to provide a reference for the management of third-party personnel in Fangcang shelter hospitals. A total of 200 third-party personnel received with traditional supervision and management methods, and 156 received new supervision and management methods from the Fangcang shelter hospital of the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Center. The sociodemographic characteristics of third-party personnel, including gender, age, education level, work experience in fighting the epidemic with safety awareness, was analyzed. The effects of the two different management modes on the protection of third-party personnel were statistically analyzed by the Chi-square test or logistic regression analysis. There were statistically significant differences in the incidence of infection among third-party personnel in terms of age, education level, work experience in fighting the epidemic in traditional supervision and management group, and whether they accepted the new supervision and management model had statistically significant differences (p <0.05). The main causes of incorrect put on and take off protective clothing, such as wrong way to detach the face screen, wrong way to remove goggles, wrong way to undress protective clothing, wrong way to take off the shoe cover, hand washing steps omitted, are that causes infection of third-party personnel (p <0.05). The new supervision and management model can reduce the infection rate of third-party personnel in Fangcang shelter hospitals through planned and purposeful training in terms of different age groups, education levels, work experience, and acceptance of protection knowledge.

The Level of Knowledge and Practice of Employees on Infection Control in a Tertiary Level Hospital

Introduction: The one of the main causes of hospital acquired infection (HAI) is the lack of knowledge and improper practice of employees in the hospital. Training programs on the infection control for each employees can reduce the rate of infection acquired from hospital. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of infection control among the employees in DMCH and ShSMCH. Methods: This descriptive type of cross-sectional study was conducted in Dhaka Medical college Hospital and Shaheed suhrawardi Medical college Hospital Dhaka for a period of one year starting from January-2019 to December-2019. Total 139 employees (Physician and Nurses) were included in this study. Result: Among 139 respondents, mean age were 31.97±7.412 (SD). 51.8% (n= 72) were female and 48.2% (n= 67) were male. In this study, 99.3% (n=138) of the respondents were aware of infection control. The current study shows that the 100% (n=139) of respondents know about nosocomial infection. 95.7% (n=114) know infection control technique prevent nosocomial infection and 82% (n=114) of the respondents know infection can occur after discharge from hospital. Maximum 63.3% (n=88) of the respondents know the most effective method to control infection were hand washing properly and the minimum 4.3% (n=6) know prudent use of antibiotics, 38,8% (n=54) know wearing caps, masks and shoe cover and 9.4% (n=13) knows regular vaccination of health care worker. Maximum of the respondents 48.2% (n=67) practice often, 33.8% (n=47) practice always, 17.3% (n=24) practice sometime and minimum .7% (n=1) of the respondent never practice infection control guideline. Conclusion: Physician and nurses in the current study have average knowledge and practice level regarding infection control.

Risk of Surgeon Contracting COVID-19 while Operating on COVID-19-Positive Patient, Impact of Safety Measures: Lessons Learnt.

Risk of Surgeon Contracting COVID-19 while Operating on COVID-19-Positive Patient, Impact of Safety Measures: Lessons Learnt.

Pharmacy practitioners' adherence to safe-handling practices of chemotherapeutic drugs: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia.

Chemotherapy drug handling and occupational exposure are topics of concern for a variety of oncology health care professionals. Inappropriate handling can pose health risks to practitioners particularly, those who handle them on a daily basis. Therefore, this study aimed to assess chemotherapy handling practices among oncology pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey with a structured pre-validated questionnaire. Data was collected from pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who handle chemotherapeutic agents in Saudi Arabia, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A total of 79 oncology pharmacy practitioners responded to the survey. The majority (92.4%) had written chemotherapy guidelines at their workplaces. Almost all participants (98.7%) reported the availability of protective gloves and gowns, however, the availability of eye protection was only 57%. Most used chemotherapy-designated gloves (83.6%), and gowns (86.1%). However, 54.4% have reused disposable gowns. The extent of utilization of most protective equipment ranged from 70% (always using closed system transfer device) to 98% (always using shoe cover); while the practice of always using eye protection and face shield was only 30.4% and 38%, respectively. With regard to cleaning practice, the work area was cleaned at least once a day by 35%; monthly decontamination (77%); certification by the biomedical department every 6 months (67%) and at least yearly (95%). Accidental exposure was reported by 28%, and the most common adverse effect was skin irritation (82%). There was no workplace medical surveillance available for 50%. The majority (88.6%) received relevant training, but not periodic updates on their training (38%). The main barriers against the use of personal protective equipment were: that some personal protective equipments were not always available (38%), and personal protective equipments were too uncomfortable to use (30.4%). The demographic variables did not have a statistically significant effect (p > 0.05) on the responses except for type of institution (workplace) on some of the cleaning practices that showed significant differences namely, the monthly decontamination and certification by the biomedical department. Most protective equipment and chemotherapy guidelines were available, and the majority of pharmacy practitioners adhered to many aspects of chemotherapy safe-handling practices. Nevertheless, some areas such as medical surveillance programs, use of eye protection and face shields, the practice of re-using disposable gowns, some of the barriers against personal protective equipment use, and the provision of periodic training need improvement for better protection of the health care professionals.

Assessment of Gap Between Knowledge and Practice of PPES among Healthcare Professionals During Covid-19”

Objective: To assess the gap between knowledge and practice of PPEs among healthcare professionals during COVID-19. Study design: Cross-Sectional study. Study setting: Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. Study Duration: May-August 2020. Methodology: A total of 214 Healthcare professionals (including medical and paramedical staff) were included in this study using convenient sampling technique. Data was collected on pre-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire included information regarding age, sex, job title, working station, etc. then data was entered in and analyzed by using SPSS Version. 21. Numerical variables like age was presented as mean ± standard deviation. Categorical variables like sex, job title, working station were shown as percentages. Results: Our study included the subjects with 88 (41.1%) males and 126 (58.9%) females. Mean age of study subjects came out to be 26.6±3.954 years. It is observed that only 95 (44.4%) of the subjects have PPEs; only 85 (39.7%) were provided PPEs from their respective healthcare authorities and 137 (64%) can afford purchasing PPEs on their own. And there is a major gap seen between the knowledge about PPEs/ appreciation of their effectiveness and the practice of PPEs by these healthcare professionals. Regarding PPEs (which include gown, surgical mask, N-95 mask, gloves, goggles, head cover, shoe cover, social distancing, hand sanitizer and hand washing), this lag is seen majorly among the healthcare professionals working in general wards; less among emergency staff and least among the subjects working at flu filter clinic or isolation wards. Conclusion: Majority of healthcare professionals appreciate the effectiveness of PPEs against corona virus but don’t bring them into practice; either due to non-availability of PPEs or they have some attitude problem towards it. Keywords: Healthcare authorities, COVID-19, Knowledge, Practice, PPEs, Availability, Attitude

'KNOWLEDGE REGARDING SAFE HANDLING OF CYTOTOXIC DRUGS AMONG STAFF NURSES WORKING IN SELECTED HOSPITALS, KAMRUP (METRO), ASSAM, WITH A VIEW TO DEVELOP AN INFORMATION BOOKLET: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY'.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2019 stated that about 8 million healthcare workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs in their workplace. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 2019 reported around 16.9% of nurses had their skin or eyes exposed to chemotherapy drugs. Widespread use of cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of cancer has led to higher health hazards among nurses who handle and administer such drugs, so nurses should know how to protect themselves from the effects of cytotoxic drugs by following safety measures during preparation, administration of cytotoxic drugs, cytotoxic waste disposal, cytotoxic spills and rationale use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) like mask, cap, two pairs of gloves, gown and shoe cover. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge regarding safe handling of cytotoxic drugs among staff nurses working in selected hospitals, Kamrup(Metro), Assam. Methods And Materials: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted on safe handling of cytotoxic drugs among staff nurses.100 staff nurses who were working in selected hospitals, Kamrup (Metro), Assam and who fullled the inclusion criteria have been selected by using convenience sampling technique. The conceptual framework used in the study was based on modied Ludwig Von Bertalanffy (1968) general system theory. The tools used for the study were structured knowledge questionnaire to assess the knowledge regarding safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. Results: Data analysis was done by calculating mean, SD and chi-square test. It was found that majority i.e.56% of the staff nurses had moderate knowledge, 38% had adequate knowledge and 6% had inadequate knowledge. There was signicant association of knowledge with selected demographic variables like working area, physical contact towards cytotoxic drugs exposure and training attended on safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. However, there was no signicant association of knowledge with other demographic variables i.e. age, educational qualication, specialized oncology training, total years of working experience and total years of experience in specic working area. Conclusion: Through this study, the investigator concluded that staff nurses are moderately aware regarding safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. It was expected that all the staff nurses should have adequate knowledge on safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. An information booklet was provided to the staff nurses of selected hospitals and vigorous training should also be provided to the staff nurses inorder to update their body of knowledge.

Recommendation for Resuming Elective Surgery during the Normalising Period in COVID-19 Pandemic.

Recommendation for Resuming Elective Surgery during the Normalising Period in COVID-19 Pandemic.

Characteristics, Protection and Functional Design of Three-Layer Laminate for Medical Footwear

The aim of this paper is to determine the influence of the washing and sterilization process in real hospital conditions on the microbial barrier properties of textile laminate used in medicine for protective clothing. The paper focuses on the functional design of three-layer laminate for medical footwear in surgery and in rooms where aseptic working conditions are required. The permeability and durability of the microbial barrier were determined after 0, 10 and 20 washing and sterilization procedures according to previously developed meth¬ods. Bacterial endospores of apathogenic species of the genera Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus atrophaeus were used. A functional design of the protective shoe cover was proposed. The results showed an extremely effective microbial barrier and the durability of the sample after 0, 10 and 20 washing and sterilization procedures, and over a period of one, two and three months.

Peri-operative Care for Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Cases: A major Concern for the Public Health: A Review Article

Background: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gown, shoe cover, face mask, eye goggles, cap, face shield and gloves for health-care professional in operation theatre is a must in order to contain COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative to mention that a surgical patient whether suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 must receive peri-operative care as it is the mainstay in care of surgical patient which cannot be denied to anyone. If we look at the incidences and the trend of spreading the COVID-19 infection, any breech in the personal and professional preventive steps to this infection in peri-operative care imposes greater risk to the public health as it affects the health care workers. Anesthetisologist and other staffs and health care workers (HCWs) in the operating room are in close proximity to patients. They are always in events of increased aerosol production from an infected patients, whether it is intubation, Bag and mask Ventilation or suctioning of the airway and life saving procedures.The major route of spread is contact transmission.Cross-infection is the major hindrance to seamless healthcare service to Covid-19 patients. Hand-washing is the universal viral transmission containment step. But it will not suffice to the preventive goal of these HCWs. Though operation rooms are maintained with negative pressure atmosphere which is ideal to minimize infection risk but this is the time to rehearse and practice other aspects too.Conclusion: The peri-operative care providers’ face several challenges in operation theatre and during per-operative care while treating suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 and thus pose a greater risk to the society. We tried to summarise these vital points and practices, dissemination of which is of utmost importance at this pandenmic scenario.

Guidelines for otology surgery in coronavirus-19 pandemic

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;Measures to be taken by the clinicians involved in Otology surgery in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Current finding about COVID-19 infection and its relation with SARS-CoV 2 virus is evaluated and possible safety measure guidelines to be taken while doing Otological procedures is reviewed. Wearing PPE kit (N95 mask, double gloves, respirator, eye protection, face shield, gown, shoe cover ), limited attendance to essential personnel, using negative pressure room, using double drape system and proper removal of patient drape after rhinology operation reduces the risk of SARS-CoV 2 virus spread via aerosol into the environment. Emergent and Urgent otology surgery need prompt treatment, thus proper COVID-19 protocols should be maintained while doing otology surgery like wearing PPE ( N95 mask, double gloves, respirator, eye protection, face shield, gown, shoe cover ), limit attendance to essential personnel and use negative pressure room are undertaken. Double draping of the operating site is essential while drilling and suctioning and it’s too carried out under the plastic tent to reduce aerosol spread in the environment. Proper removing of the tent setup, including rolling of patient drape is needed to reduce aerosol spread. Otology surgeries should adhere to general guidelines set for high-risk procedures.&lt;/p&gt;

Investigation of protective exposure risk events in nurses against corona virus disease 2019 in Wuhan

Objective To investigate the current situation of virus exposure risk incidents of nurses against corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, and to provide reference evidence for nursing managers to protect nursing staff who were working in the isolation ward. Methods In the study, 308 nursing staff against COVID-19 working in the isolation ward in Wuhan were conveniently selected to participate in the investigation. The designed questionnaires including 7 kinds of protective exposure risk events were made by the team of researchers on the basis of literature review and interview with the nurses in Wuhan. All the participants recalled their working experience in the status of dressing in personal protective equipment and filled in the questionnaires online by WeChat according to the same instruction. Results The questionnaires were filled in validly by a total of 304 nursing staff, of whom 88.8% received emergency training on the prevention and dealing measurement of exposure risk events. The incidence of shoe cover contamination, falling off or torn was relatively high, about 53.6%. Due to the protection of gloves, the incidence of hand or skin contamination was relatively low, about 14.1%. The most nervousness of protective exposure risk event for nurses was N95 mask contamination, falling off or shifting, with a score of 8.2±2.3, showing a higher psychiatric burden. Single factor analysis found that the number of days in Wuhan was different, the number of the types of protective risk events occurred was different (χ2=14.562, P=0.024), orderly multivariate Logistic regression found that men were the independent protective factor for the number of the types of protective exposure risk events that occurred (P=0.019). Conclusion Protective exposure risk events may occur in the work of nursing staff working in the isolation ward in Wuhan. It is necessary to guide nurses to prevent the occurrence of protective exposure risk events and effectively deal with them, so as to prevent virus exposure and reduce psycholo-gical burden.

PPE kit causes skin problems and ways to prevent

In the present world, the only word we hear is covid19 also called novel coronavirus, which has spread all over the globe, originated from Wuhan in china. It started on November 17th, 2019 it was reported and now it becomes a major challenge in the global world. PPE is It is protective to wear to safeguard the health of workers by minimizing the exposure to a biological agent like a virus, bacteria. PPE includes eyewear, face-shield, mask, gloves, coverall/gowns (with or without aprons), headcover, and shoe cover. In this review article there is a discussion about the personal protection equipment which causes skin problems to healthcare workers (doctors, nurses) due to long wear of PPE kit and ways to prevent the skin problems.

Anesthesia and potential aerosol generation during magnetic resonance imaging in children with COVID-19.

The American College of Radiology recommends minimizing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in COVID-19 patients, postponing non-urgent exams, and using alternative imaging.1 Sedation/anesthesia are aerosol generating procedures (AGP) due to requirement of bag-mask ventilation, intubation, and extubation with consequent risk of exposure to healthcare workers. This is complicated by limitation in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the magnet zone (Zone IV).We describe our experience for children requiring anesthesia for emergency MRI during the COVID-19 outbreak in Philadelphia.

Combating the COVID-19 battle with personal protective equipment (PPE) armamentarium.

Combating the COVID-19 battle with personal protective equipment (PPE) armamentarium.

The Role of Surgical Attire in the Prevention of Postoperative Infections: A Before and After Study [24T

INTRODUCTION: Rates of postoperative infection (PI) related to cesarean delivery (CD) range from 2 to 7 percent. Traditional operating room attire consists of surgical cap, mask, and shoe cover. In August 2015, our institution adopted policy based on Association for Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) guidelines. Policy dictates use of surgical hood, laundered scrubs, beard cover, and disposable jacket before scrubbing. The objective of the study is to investigate the rate of PI in women undergoing CD before (Group 1) and after (Group 2) policy implementation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of women with term pregnancies who underwent elective CD for two years before (Group 1) and after (Group 2) new policy. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Inclusion criteria are as follows: hospital readmission, fever, positive wound culture, antibiotic treatment, cellulitis, endometritis, intra-abdominal abscess. Exclusion criteria included labor, ruptured membranes, intrapartum infection, and cerclage. RESULTS: The primary outcome measure was the rate of PI between the two groups. Group 1 consisted of 131 and Group 2 159 patients. Maternal characteristics and antepartum complications were similar between groups (p < 0.05). Mean gestational age at delivery was 38.96 weeks (Group 1) and 38.89 weeks (Group 2). Both groups had similar incidences of primary versus repeat CD. Rate of infection in group 1 was 4.5 percent vs 2.5 percent in group 2 (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The addition of surgical hood and jacket did not lead to a statistically significant decrease in postoperative infection. Further investigation may determine if the additional cost yields benefits.