scholarly journals Hospital Capacity and Operations in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic—Planning for the Nth Patient

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. e200345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph J. Cavallo ◽  
Daniel A. Donoho ◽  
Howard P. Forman
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Capacity ◽  
Pandemic Planning

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic Planning: Simulation models to predict biochemistry test capacity for patient surges

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha E Lyon ◽  
Andrew Bajkov ◽  
Diane Haugrud ◽  
Barry D Kyle ◽  
Fang Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Models ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Maximum Throughput ◽  
Field Hospital ◽  
Specific Test ◽  
Hospital Capacity ◽  
Pandemic Planning ◽  
Biochemistry Test ◽  
Turn Around Time ◽  
Future Patient

Abstract Background Patient surges beyond hospital capacity during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized a need for clinical laboratories to prepare test processes to support future patient care. The objective of this study was to determine if current instrumentation in local hospital laboratories can accommodate the anticipated workload from COVID-19 infected patients in hospitals and a proposed field hospital in addition to testing for non-infected patients. Methods Simulation models predicted instrument throughput and turn-around-time for chemistry, ion-selective-electrode and immunoassay tests using vendor-developed software with different workload scenarios. The expanded workload included tests from anticipated COVID patients in two local hospitals and a proposed field hospital with a COVID-specific test menu in addition to the pre-pandemic workload. Results Instrumentation throughput and turn-around time at each site was predicted. With additional COVID-patient beds in each hospital the maximum throughput was approached with no impact on turnaround time. Addition of the field hospital workload led to significantly increased test turnaround times at each site. Conclusions Simulation models depicted the analytic capacity and turn-around times for laboratory tests at each site and identified the laboratory best suited for field hospital laboratory support during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Using a Process Approach to Pandemic Planning: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4121
Author(s):  
Hana Tomaskova ◽  
Erfan Babaee Tirkolaee
Keyword(s):  
Process Model ◽  
Process Mining ◽  
Process Approach ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Situation ◽  
Pandemic Planning ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Smart Technologies

The purpose of this article was to demonstrate the difference between a pandemic plan’s textual prescription and its effective processing using graphical notation. Before creating a case study of the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) of the Czech Republic’s pandemic plan, we conducted a systematic review of the process approach in pandemic planning and a document analysis of relevant public documents. The authors emphasized the opacity of hundreds of pages of text records in an explanatory case study and demonstrated the effectiveness of the process approach in reengineering and improving the response to such a critical situation. A potential extension to the automation and involvement of SMART technologies or process optimization through process mining techniques is presented as a future research topic.

scholarly journals Performance of EasyBreath Decathlon Snorkeling mask for delivering continuous positive airway pressure

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Noto ◽  
Claudia Crimi ◽  
Andrea Cortegiani ◽  
Massimiliano Giardina ◽  
Filippo Benedetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ◽  
Airway Pressure ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Positive Airway Pressure ◽  
High Flow ◽  
Hospital Capacity ◽  
System Generator ◽  
Flow Generator ◽  
Full Face ◽  
Support Devices

AbstractDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for noninvasive respiratory support devices has dramatically increased, sometimes exceeding hospital capacity. The full-face Decathlon snorkeling mask, EasyBreath (EB mask), has been adapted to deliver continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as an emergency respiratory interface. We aimed to assess the performance of this modified EB mask and to test its use during different gas mixture supplies. CPAP set at 5, 10, and 15 cmH2O was delivered to 10 healthy volunteers with a high-flow system generator set at 40, 80, and 120 L min−1 and with a turbine-driven ventilator during both spontaneous and loaded (resistor) breathing. Inspiratory CO2 partial pressure (PiCO2), pressure inside the mask, breathing pattern and electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi) were measured at all combinations of CPAP/flows delivered, with and without the resistor. Using the high-flow generator set at 40 L min−1, the PiCO2 significantly increased and the system was unable to maintain the target CPAP of 10 and 15 cmH2O and a stable pressure within the respiratory cycle; conversely, the turbine-driven ventilator did. EAdi significantly increased with flow rates of 40 and 80 L min−1 but not at 120 L min−1 and with the turbine-driven ventilator. EB mask can be safely used to deliver CPAP only under strict constraints, using either a high-flow generator at a flow rate greater than 80 L min−1, or a high-performance turbine-driven ventilator.

scholarly journals COVID-19 global pandemic planning: Dry heat incubation and ambient temperature fail to consistently inactivate SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators

2020 ◽  
pp. 153537022097781
Author(s):  
Douglas J Perkins ◽  
Robert A Nofchissey ◽  
Chunyan Ye ◽  
Nathan Donart ◽  
Alison Kell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Dry Heat ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Individual Site ◽  
Pandemic Planning ◽  
N95 Respirators

The ongoing pandemic of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has placed a substantial strain on the supply of personal protective equipment, particularly the availability of N95 respirators for frontline healthcare personnel. These shortages have led to the creation of protocols to disinfect and reuse potentially contaminated personal protective equipment. A simple and inexpensive decontamination procedure that does not rely on the use of consumable supplies is dry heat incubation. Although reprocessing with this method has been shown to maintain the integrity of N95 respirators after multiple decontamination procedures, information on the ability of dry heat incubation to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 is largely unreported. Here, we show that dry heat incubation does not consistently inactivate SARS-CoV-2-contaminated N95 respirators, and that variation in experimental conditions can dramatically affect viability of the virus. Furthermore, we show that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on N95 respirators that remain at room temperature for at least five days. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that dry heat incubation procedures and ambient temperature for five days are not viable methods for inactivating SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators for potential reuse. We recommend that decontamination procedures being considered for the reuse of N95 respirators be validated at each individual site and that validation of the process must be thoroughly conducted using a defined protocol.

scholarly journals Remote patient monitoring for ED discharges in the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-231
Author(s):  
Ahmad A Aalam ◽  
Colton Hood ◽  
Crystal Donelan ◽  
Adam Rutenberg ◽  
Erin M Kane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Monitoring ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Remote Patient Monitoring ◽  
Hospital Capacity ◽  
Vulnerable Patients ◽  
Natural Progression ◽  
Extended Access ◽  
Discharged Patients ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Remote Patient

COVID-19 has had a significant effect on healthcare resources worldwide, with our knowledge of the natural progression of the disease evolving for the individual patient. To allow for early detection of worsening clinical status, protect hospital capacity and provide extended access for vulnerable patients, our emergency department developed a remote patient monitoring programme for discharged patients with COVID-19. The programme uses a daily emailed secure link to a survey in which patients submit biometric and symptoms data for monitoring. Patients’ meeting criteria are escalated to a physician for a phone or video visit. Here, we describe the development, implementation and preliminary analysis of utilisation of the programme.

scholarly journals In the pursuit of equity: COVID-19, data and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
Kalinda Griffiths ◽  
Ian Ring ◽  
Richard Madden ◽  
Lisa Jackson Pulver
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Success Story ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Pandemic Planning ◽  
The Future ◽  
Torres Strait

Since March 2020 in Australia, there has been decisive national, and state and territory policy as well as community led action involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as information about COVID-19 arose. This has resulted in, what could only be framed as a success story in self-determination. However, there continues to be issues with the quality of data used for the surveillance and reporting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during the pandemic. This article discusses some of the important events in pandemic planning regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how this relates to surveillance and monitoring in the emerging and ongoing threat of COVID-19 within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The authors also identify some of the data considerations required in the future to monitor and address public health.

scholarly journals Impact of the subcutaneous formulations of trastuzumab and rituximab on efficiency and resource optimization in Spanish hospitals: H-Excelencia study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Reyes Abad-Sazatornil ◽  
Ainhoa Arenaza ◽  
Juan Bayo ◽  
Jesus García Mata ◽  
José María Guinea De Castro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resource Optimization ◽  
Administrative Databases ◽  
Product Label ◽  
Healthcare Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Hospital Capacity ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Care Capacity

Abstract Background Subcutaneous (SC) versus intravenous (IV) administration is advantageous in terms of patient convenience and hospital efficiency. This study aimed to compare the effect of optimizing the processes involved in SC versus IV administration of rituximab and trastuzumab on hospital capacity and service quality. Methods This cross-sectional resource utilization study interviewed oncologists, hematologists, nurses, and pharmacists from 10 hospitals in Spain to estimate changes in processes associated with conversion from IV to SC rituximab and trastuzumab, based on clinical experience and healthcare use from administrative databases. Results Efficient use of SC formulations increased the monthly capacity for parenteral administration by 3.35% (potentially increasable by 5.75% with maximum possible conversion according to the product label). The weekly capacity for hospital pharmacy treatment preparation increased by 7.13% due to conversion to SC formulation and by 9.33% due to transferring SC preparation to the cancer treatment unit (potentially increasable by 12.16 and 14.10%, respectively). Monthly hospital time decreased by 33% with trastuzumab and 47% with rituximab. In a hypothetical hospital, in which all processes for efficient use of SC rituximab and/or trastuzumab were implemented and all eligible patients received SC formulations, the estimated monthly capacity for preparation and administration increased by 23.1% and estimated hospital times were reduced by 60–66%. Conclusions Conversion of trastuzumab and rituximab to SC administration could improve the efficiency of hospitals and optimize internal resource management processes, potentially increasing care capacity and improving the quality of care by reducing time spent by patients at hospitals.

Influenza pandemic planning

Vaccine ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 1801-1803 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Cox
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Pandemic Planning
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