Articles: personal-protective-equipment.
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Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992) · Jan 2020
ReviewChest tubes in COVID-19 times: a safe way to protect the team.
What has been published so far regarding safe methods to deal with chest tube insertion during COVID-19. ⋯ Health officials are under increasing pressure to control the spread of COVID-19, which is a very virulent disease. Our analysis brought together old rules against contamination along with new tactics for professionals who deal with chest drains in order to minimize the contamination of teams during the Pandemic.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented strain on healthcare supplies. Currently there is a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially N95 masks. In order to safeguard healthcare personnel in this critical time and to mitigate shortages of N95 respirators, reuse of N95 respirators has to be considered. ⋯ In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, reuse of N95 respirators, although suboptimal, can be considered. Evidence reveals that UVGI, MHI, and HPV are amongst the safest and efficacious methods for decontamination of N95 masks. More research is needed to establish the safety and effectiveness of MGS, MSB, dry heat, EtO, liquid hydrogen peroxide, and HPGP. Alcohol, microwave irradiation, and bleach are not recommended because they damage N95 respirators.
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Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. · Jan 2020
ReviewCare for frontline health care workers in times of COVID-19.
The spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has generated the collapse of health care systems and significant impacts on the health of the workers involved in combatting the disease worldwide. ⋯ A sensitive view of the health care worker's care is urgently needed to maintain the quality of health service offered to the population and preserve the health of frontline workers.
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During the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic there is unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), especially N95 respirators and surgical masks. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to be transmitted via respiratory droplets from asymptomatic individuals has necessitated increased usage of both N95 respirators in the healthcare setting and masks (both surgical and homemade) in public spaces. These precautions rely on two fundamental principles of transmission prevention: particle filtration and droplet containment. ⋯ These materials demonstrate significant variability in filtration characteristics, even for visually similar materials. We demonstrate a FE of 96.49% and pressure drop of 25.4 mmH20 for a double-layer of sterilization wrap used in surgical suites and a FE of 90.37% for a combination of consumer-grade materials. The excellent filtration characteristics of the former demonstrate potential utility for emergent situations when N95 respirators are not available, while those of the latter demonstrate that a high FE can be achieved using publicly available materials.
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These recommendations for physicians who perform bronchoscopy will help to protect those patients (un)-affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic, minimize the risk of transmission, and maintain clinical care for all patients.