• Muhammad Akif Dilshad, Shahid Sarwar, Farheen Aslam, Adnan Shabbir, Shafqat Rasool, and Ghias Un-Nabi Tayyab.
• Dr. Akif Dilshad, MBBS, FCPS (Gastroenterology). Associate Professor Gastroenterology, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
• Pak J Med Sci. 2021 Jul 1; 37 (4): 109310981093-1098.

ObjectivesTo correlate compliance to personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols and risk of exposure to SARS-COV-2 infection in endoscopy staff.MethodsWe included 85 endoscopic procedures performed at Lahore General Hospital from May to July 2020. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were implemented for patient selection, risk stratification and personal protective equipment (PPE) use for endoscopy staff. Patient and endoscopy staff were followed for Covid-19 infection. PPE scores for staff and Covid-19 positivity on follow-up were correlated using student's t test.ResultsFollowing 85 procedures included, 2 (2.3%) patients became Covid-19 positive. PPE score was <9 in 5 (5.8%) procedures for endoscopist and Covid-19 developed in 2 (2.3%) of them, PPE score was <9 during 19 (22.3%) procedures in 1st assistant and 9 (10.5%) developed infection and for 2nd assistant PPE score was <9 in 19(22.3%) endoscopies and 5 (5.9%) tested positive for covid-19. Infectivity of endoscopy staff was 6.2%. Association between PPE score and risk of Covid-19 was not significant. (p value 0.51 for endoscopist, 0.10 for 1st assistant and 0.09 for 2nd assistant).ConclusionCompliance of SOPs for infection control reduces risk of acquiring Covid-19 infection during endoscopy. Proper use of PPE is effective for safety of endoscopy staff.Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.

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