Use of 3D printing to support COVID-19 medical supply shortages: a review

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Three Dimensional Model ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Potential Applications ◽

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, created a pandemic with significant mortality and morbidity which poses challenges for patients and healthcare workers. The global spread of COVID-19 has resulted in shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) leaving frontline health workers unprotected and overwhelming the healthcare system. 3D printing is well suited to address shortages of masks, face shields, testing kits and ventilators. In this article, we review 3D printing and suggest potential applications for creating PPE for healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed with keywords “Coronavirus disease 2019”, “COVID-19”, “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2”, “SARS-CoV-2”, “supply shortages”, “N95 respirator masks”, “personal protective equipment”, “PPE”, “ventilators”, “three-dimensional model”, “three-dimensional printing” “3D printing” and “ventilator”. A summary of important studies relevant to the development of 3D printed clinical applications for COVID-19 is presented. 3D technology has great potential to revolutionize healthcare through accessibility, affordably and personalization.

Challenges for Healthcare Workers Caring for COVID-19 Patients in Indonesia: A Qualitative Study

INQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing ◽

10.1177/00469580211060291 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 58 ◽

pp. 004695802110602

Author(s):

Herley Windo Setiawan ◽

Ika Nur Pratiwi ◽

Lailatun Nimah ◽

Zulfayandi Pawanis ◽

Arief Bakhtiar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Sampled Data ◽

Hospital Managers ◽

The Government ◽

Depth Interviews

COVID-19 pandemic raises various challenges faced by health workers in hospitals. This study explored strategies for overcoming challenges in caring for COVID-19 patients at hospitals in Indonesia based on healthcare workers’ experience. In-depth interviews were employed with 28 healthcare workers (physicians and nurses) who were purposively sampled. Data were collected via phone and analysed using the Colaizzi method. Five following challenges were found: difficulties in working with personal protective equipment (PPE), offline training for handling Covid and using PPE not being implemented evenly for all health workers, physical and psychological fatigue, difficulties in carrying out health education and assessment towards patients and families, and limited resources to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, some barriers require support from the government, public and hospital managers. The information gained from research on the strategies for caring for COVID-19 patients can contribute to better preparedness for hospitals and health workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Guidelines to Protect Healthcare Workers at Hospitals and Dental Professionals at Dental Office

Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences ◽

10.4314/ejhs.v30i6.23 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Bassel Tarakji ◽

Mohammad Zakaria Nassani ◽

Faisal Mehsen Alali ◽

Abdulwahab A. Abuderman

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Dental Treatment ◽

Health Workers ◽

The Body ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Dental Office ◽

Control Procedures ◽

Dental Professionals

BACKGROUND፡ Coronavirus disease 2019 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. This study aimed to address the preventive procedures to protect healthcare workers at hospital to avoid COVID-19, and infection control procedures to protect dental professionals in dental office.METHODS: We conducted a search of published articles from PubMed, google scholar databases using key words such as COVID-19, healthcare worker, infection control, and dental practice. Relevant articles were identified and reviewed. Most published papers were clinical reports and case studies. We have selected some of the current published papers written in English in 2020.RESULTS: Infection control procedures to protect health workers at hospitals, and dental professionals at dental office were summurised and presented. Infection control procedures for healthcare workers at hospitals include Personal protective equipment, Korea filter (KF)94 respirator, goggles, face protector,disposable waterproof long-arm gown, and gloves, and others. Extra-protection procedures should be taken with old and vulnerable healthcare workers. Dental professionals should evaluate patients in advance before starting dental treatment. Aerosols generating procedures should be avoided and personal protective equipment should be used. Dental treatment should be restricted to emergency cases only.CONCLUSION: Old medical staff should be in safer distance to avoid infection, but young physicians and nurses should work at frontline as their immunity is better than their colleagues at old age. Screening patients and measurement of the body temperature are essential measures before dental treatment.

Sosialisasi Perawatan dan Pembuatan Face Shield bagi Tenaga Kesehatan

Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Universitas Merdeka Malang ◽

10.26905/abdimas.v6i3.5288 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 439-446

Author(s):

Nuzulia Khoiriyah ◽

Sri Mulyono ◽

Bagus Satrio Waluyo Poetro

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Workers ◽

3D Models ◽

Community Services ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

3D Printer ◽

3D Printing Technology ◽

Solid Objects

Face shield is one of the important PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for health workers in health services in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic as it is today. The limited number of face shield will certainly hamper the health services provided by the hospital. This Community Services activity was carried out at RSI Sultan Agung and RSIGM Sultan Agung to provide training on making face shield independently and also maintenance, so that face shield is more durable and not easily damaged. The tool used is a 3D printer which is easy to operate. 3D Printing technology will produce solid objects, and not like printing a sheet of paper on a printer that is commonly used. Design 3D models using CAD software. This activity was attended by 80 participants. 91.25% of participants are interested in making their own face shields as an effort to meet the need for face shields From the Community Services activities, around 100 face shields were produced which were handed over to the hospital.

Departments of Pediatrics Approach at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Portuguese Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1159/000519499 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Beatriz Simões Vala ◽

Mariana Lopes Costa ◽

Joana Aquino ◽

Bilhota Xavier

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health System ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Public Health System ◽

Pediatric Emergency ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Clinical Criteria ◽

Introduction: The novel coronavirus pandemic poses a challenge to healthcare systems’ balance. Since children apparently have milder disease courses, COVID-19 guidelines were not easily adapted to pediatrics. We intend to characterize how the national departments of pediatrics adapted to the pandemic at the beginning and describe the measures that were taken to protect healthcare workers. Methods: An unvalidated online questionnaire was sent to all departments of pediatrics directors of Portuguese public health system hospitals regarding course of actions taken between April and May 2020 to face the new coronavirus pandemic. Neonatology units were excluded. Results: Thirty-eight questionnaires were included (93% of public health system departments). All departments divided the pediatric emergency unit into non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 areas: 68% in different areas, 47% divided the same space with a physical barrier and 16% with a line on the floor. Healthcare workers were divided into non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 teams in 71% of the departments. Personal protective equipment mostly used in COVID-19 areas consisted of face shield/goggles (97%) and respirators (95%). Others wore surgical masks (8%). The main clinical criteria for testing were Direção-Geral da Saúde criteria (84%). Presential appointments were maintained in 68% of departments with selected follow-up (81%) and priority-first appointments (73%). Discussion: National departments of pediatrics faced the pandemic differently and measures taken in the emergency department were more similar. Personal protective equipment was adequate in all wards with occasional overuse, considering national and international guidelines.

Sociodemographic and Clinical Features of COVID-19 Reinfection Cases Among Healthcare Workers in Turkey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-296853/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hatice İkiışık ◽

Yasemin Çağ ◽

Mehmet Akif Sezerol ◽

Aral Surmeli ◽

Yusuf Taşçı ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

World Health ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

Disease Characteristic

Abstract Background: Global pandemic of novel Coronavirus Disease (SARS- COV-2) has spread across all continents and infected almost 80 million people. Since it is a novel disease, unknowns about the disease characteristic, treatment and length of immunity still persist. This study aims to characterize reinfection, personal protective equipment use and disease progress in healthcare workers in İstanbul. Methods: 23 healthcare workers who had confirmed negative PCR results after infection and another positivity later were questioned about both infection progress, their symptoms and treatment through an online questionnaire. Results: While the symptoms during both courses did not change drastically, 73.9% were treated as outpatient during the first infection while all but one (95.7%) were treated as such during second time around. Median time between two infections were 106 days. All participants were cleared of disease and none had to be treated in intensive care unit. Conclusion: Use of personal protective equipment was found subpar compared to World Health Organization recommendations. This is the first study from Turkey characterizing reinfected cases in healthcare workers.

Functionalized photocatalytic nanocoatings for inactivating COVID-19 virus residing on surfaces of public and healthcare facilities

Coronaviruses ◽

10.2174/2666796702666210222110403 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 02 ◽

Author(s):

Manjunatha Channegowda

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Large Population ◽

Respiratory Illness ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

New Disease ◽

Polymeric Surfaces ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

: The current ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has affected the large population across the globe by serious respiratory illness and death. Since the medicine for this new disease is yet to discover, the treatment options against pandemic COVID-19 are very limited and unsatisfactory. Further, the hospitals trying to treat the COVID-19 patients are majorly infected by this virus, as it sustain on the surfaces of inanimate objects for days. Therefore, hospitals have become hotspots for novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Till date millions of healthcare workers are infected in many countries, and several have died too. The non-availability of quality personal protective equipment (PPE) and the more duration of exposure with severe and critical COVID patients, have been a major factor for the infection in millions of healthcare workers. However, developing an effective medicine has remained challenging due to its unpredicted mutation rate. Here, this article proposes functionalized photocatalytic nanocoatings to destroy the COVID-19 virus, which can be applied on the surface of inanimate objects such as paper, cloth, glass, wood, ceramic, metallic, polymeric surfaces etc. With the supporting experimental results, various possible ways of killing the virus and its mechanism is discussed. This article provides new insights for developing nano solutions to address this COVID-19 issue.

Protecting Healthcare Workers From COVID-19 and the Assaulting Society: Indian Perspective

Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Research ◽

10.18502/pbr.v6i(s1).4395 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nileswar Das ◽

Priyanka Mishra

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

The Novel ◽

The Future ◽

Public Behavior ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Indian Perspective

The novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created a massive burden on Healthcare Workers (HCWs). Working in a potentially infectious environment, HCWs are at higher risk of physical and psychological illnesses. However, providing adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is necessary to protect HCWs from rising violence in the community due to fear, frustration, and stigma. The authors highlighted this important yet relatively underresearched entity of public behavior that demands further studies in the future.

Ideal guidance and procedures for donning and doffing personal protective equipment to be used by health workers during management of patients confirmed with COVID-19 or person under investigation

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20204391 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. 4164

Author(s):

Saima Ahmad ◽

Haseeb Manzoor ◽

Fatima Gul Chaudhary

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Control Measure ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Delivery Of Care ◽

Potential Contact ◽

Disease Epidemics ◽

Respiratory Droplets

Highly infectious disease epidemics such as COVID-19 put healthcare workers at higher risk of infection than regular people as they come into more potential contact with contaminated respiratory droplets and so caution is warranted in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to lessen risk. It is not clear what kind of PPE best offers protection and the best way to remove PPE. PPE is used by Healthcare workers in the COVID-19 virus disease situation. Its use is an integral part of the strategy to combat COVID-19 and prevent its spread. Optimal PPE use is hard and thus healthcare workers may alter the delivery of care because of improper PPE use. Preventing contamination of PPE during donning and doffing therefore becomes crucial and requires improvisation. Donning and doffing of PPE should include adherence to protocols as well as COVID- 19 specific design of PPE and further research into the risks, benefits, and best practices of PPE use. Lastly, training of users must be stressed to minimize protocol deviations and in turn guarantee the best protection to HCWs. While ranked as the lowest in infection control hierarchy due to its effectiveness as compared to other measures and high cost, PPE is nonetheless extremely important and often overlooked aspect during early outbreak stages of a pandemic where neither drugs nor vaccines are available and access to them is limited. This paper sheds light on the donning and doffing protocols that should be used as well as discusses this often-overlooked aspect of the virus control measure.

COVID-19 Pandemic in Nepal: A Threat to Low Resources Countries

Journal of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences ◽

10.3126/jkahs.v3i2.30727 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Seshananda Sanjel ◽

Tarun Paudel ◽

Sangita Sanjel

Keyword(s):

General Public ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Health Workers ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Prevention Strategies ◽

First Line ◽

Professional Workers ◽

Contact Transmission ◽

At present, the global community is experiencing a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the third disease from a coronavirus to cause a global outbreak. Person-to-person transmission occurs through droplet or contact transmission and if there is a lack of rigorous infection control or if no proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is available, it may endanger the first-line healthcare workers. In Nepal most of the cases are those who traveled to China and India till date, the infection is transmitted to clusters of societies only. Health workers as well as the general public has to be protected from getting infection applying established and universal infection prevention strategies including social distancing, hand hygiene and application of personal protective devices as required. Person-to-person contact is one of the most predominant ways of transmission of the disease, hence general public as well as all the professional workers have to follow the infection prevention approaches.

Design and development of 3D Face Mask Clips for Hijab

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development ◽

10.33736/jcshd.2301.2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 52-62

Author(s):

Rehman Ullah Khan ◽

Ahmad Sofian Shminan ◽

Yin Bee Oon ◽

Iswandy Jamaludin

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Health Workers ◽

Movement Control ◽

Face Mask ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Local Hospital ◽

3D Face ◽

The World ◽

Control Order

The world has suffered a critical shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic of COVID19 for medical staffs, the front liners. Like the whole world, Malaysia also imposed the stay-at-home and Movement Control Order (MCO) to break the chain of infections and flatten the curve of cases. The supply of PPE became a challenge during the lock down. There have been joined efforts from various parties stepping up, with different ways to help the production process of these key equipment but mostly focus on PPTs for male. Another challenge was face mask for Muslims leady health workers who wear hijab. This paper is about how to overcome these challenges and designed a novel face mask clip for hijab, using 3D printing. The clips were tested in a local hospital. The results show that the clips are very effective and easy to use. Keywords: Covid-19; Personal protective equipment; Pandemic; Movement Control Order; 3D Face mask