Articles: personal-protective-equipment.
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Observational Study
Impact of wearing personal protective equipment on the performance and decision making of surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational cross-sectional study.
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the mandatory use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has resulted in a significant reduction in the infection rate among health care workers (HCWs). However, there are some ongoing concerns about the negative impact of using PPE for prolonged periods. This study examined the impact of wearing PPE on surgeons' performance and decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ More preference for conservative approach, damage control procedures, and/or open approach was reported. Despite its benefits, PPE is associated with a significant negative impact on the non-technical skills (including vision, communication, and comfort) as well as a non-significant negative impact on technical skills and decision making of surgeons. Extra efforts should be directed to improve PPE, especially during lengthy pandemics.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Sep 2021
Short report on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 face protective equipment on verbal communication.
To predict the impact of face personal protective equipment on verbal communication during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. ⋯ The use of face personal protective equipment causes significant verbal communication issues. Healthcare workers, school-aged children, and people affected by voice and hearing disorders may represent specific at-risk groups for impaired speech intelligibility.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The impact of a barrier enclosure on time to tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial.
Novel devices such as the barrier enclosure were developed in hopes of improving provider safety by limiting SARS-CoV-2 transmission during tracheal intubation. Nevertheless, concerns arose regarding a lack of rigorous efficacy and safety data for these devices. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of the barrier enclosure on time to tracheal intubation. ⋯ In healthy surgical patients with normal airway predictors, the use of a barrier enclosure during tracheal intubation did not significantly prolong time to intubation or decrease first-pass intubation success. Nevertheless, there was an increase in difficulty of intubation perceived by the anesthesiologists with use of a barrier enclosure.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2021
COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment in the Home: Navigating the Complexity of Donning and Doffing.
The safety of care professionals and patients is paramount while caring for people with infectious diseases, including those with confirmed or suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Existing policies and protocols for donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) are primarily for institutional settings such as hospitals, not for home visits for patient care. We describe a protocol for donning and doffing PPE in home settings. ⋯ This protocol addresses gaps in COVID-19-related guidelines, specifically the process of donning and doffing PPE during home visits while supplementing jurisdictional PPE guidelines and protocols.Appeared as Annals "Online First" article.