scholarly journals Telemedicine in Times of the Pandemic Produced by COVID-19: Implementation of a Teleconsultation Protocol in a Hospital Emergency Department

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Antonio Lopez-Villegas ◽  
Salvador Maroto-Martin ◽  
Miguel Angel Baena-Lopez ◽  
Antonio Garzon-Miralles ◽  
Rafael Jesús Bautista-Mesa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Emergency Service ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Respiratory Problems ◽  
Hospital Emergency Service ◽  
First Case ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
Efficient Consumption

Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Spain, almost 22% of healthcare professionals have been infected. Among the main causes are exposure during the care of suspected patients and asymptomatic patients, which caused a greater lack of protection in some cases, and to the global shortage of personal protective equipment due to the strong demand for it. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a teleconsultation protocol with patients who had respiratory symptoms in the reduction of the consumption of personal protective equipment (PPE) in a hospital emergency service (HES) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a descriptive and retrospective study that analyzes the implementation of a teleconsultation protocol with patients with respiratory problems treated in the HES at the Hospital de Poniente (Almeria), between 18 March and 30 April 2020. In the selected study period, 5353 patients were treated in the HES of the Hospital de Poniente; of these, 15.43% showed respiratory symptoms and were referred to the Respiratory Circuit, of which 42.2% did so via teleconsultation. Sixty-six cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed, 57.6% were male, and the median age was 71 years old. The main disease related was pneumonia (89.4%), symptoms more frequent were cough (77.3%), fever (77.3%), and dyspnea (60.6%). Lastly, 56.1% of the patients that attended had one or more comorbidities, high blood pressure (53%), and diabetes (36.4%), which became the main risk factors. The results showed that the implementation of teleconsultation in the HES reduced the possibility of infection and allowed for a more efficient consumption of personal protective equipment.

scholarly journals Cost-effectiveness analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention strategies including pre-endoscopic virus testing and use of high risk personal protective equipment

Endoscopy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alanna Ebigbo ◽  
Christoph Römmele ◽  
Christina Bartenschlager ◽  
Selin Temizel ◽  
Elisabeth Kling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Universal Testing ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients

Abstract Background Infection prevention strategies to protect healthcare workers in endoscopy units during the post-peak phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are currently under intense discussion. In this paper, the cost-effectiveness of routine pre-endoscopy testing and high risk personal protective equipment (PPE) is addressed. Method A model based on theoretical assumptions of 10 000 asymptomatic patients presenting to a high volume center was created. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and absolute costs per endoscopy were calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation. Results ICER values for universal testing decreased with increasing prevalence rates. For higher prevalence rates (≥ 1 %), ICER values were lowest for routine pre-endoscopy testing coupled with use of high risk PPE, while cost per endoscopy was lowest for routine use of high risk PPE without universal testing. Conclusion In general, routine pre-endoscopy testing combined with high risk PPE becomes more cost-effective with rising prevalence rates of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Factors Associated with Respiratory Symptoms Among Bahir Dar Textile Industry Workers, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117863022096593
Author(s):  
Manay Kifle ◽  
Brhane Gebremariam ◽  
Kasahun Alemu ◽  
Solomon Meseret Woldeyohannes
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Bahir Dar ◽  
Textile Workers ◽  
Amhara Region ◽  
Working Section

Introduction: The expansions of labor-intensive investments in a developing countries, especially in textile production create a dusty work environment for workers, and those workers are from the low socio-economic group and need special safety concern. Objective: This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and associated factors among textile factories workers in Bahir Dar, Amhara region, Ethiopia, 2015. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed among randomly selected 384 textile workers using pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. We stratified workers by their working section in the textile industries. Then the proportional numbers of workers were selected from each working section of the factory by using a random number generator. The identification number of workers from each factory was used for selection. The data were checked, coded, and entered to Epi-info Version 7 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 20 for further analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors. Variables having a P ⩽ .2 were fitted to multivariate logistic regression so as to assess the presence and strength of association with the respiratory symptom. Variables having a P < .05 were considered as significant. Results: Three hundred eighty-three (99.74%) of the study participants responded completely filling the questionnaire. In this study, the prevalence of cough, phlegm, bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, and chest pain among the respondents were 31 (8.1%), 45 (11.7%), 26 (6.8%), 2 (0.5%), and 21 (5.5%), respectively. Generally, 141 (36.81%) of the respondents have either of the above respiratory symptoms in the textile industry. Working in the spinning section (AOR = 3.26, 95% CI: 1.80, 5.89), being in the grade 11 and 12 level and below (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.50, 3.70) and personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization (AOR = 4.88 95% CI: 1.54-15.45) were significantly associated with respiratory symptoms in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms in Bahir Dar Textile workers was relatively high. Working department, educational status, and PPE use were variables significantly associated with respiratory symptoms in this study. Experience sharing across departments, employing educated workers and provision of personal protective equipment are important tasks to be followed to reduce respiratory symptoms in the industry.

Biomarkers in systemic tolerance and response evaluation at stress in the out-of-hospital emergency service (stress study)

2019 ◽  
Vol 493 ◽  
pp. S339-S340
Author(s):  
D. Morell-Garcia ◽  
J.M. Bauça ◽  
Y. Grajera ◽  
J. Álvarez ◽  
J.J. García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Service ◽  
Response Evaluation ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Hospital Emergency Service ◽  
Stress Study

scholarly journals Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Surveillance and Exposure in the Perioperative Setting With Universal Testing and Personal Protective Equipment Policies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anoshe Aslam ◽  
Jessica Singh ◽  
Elizabeth Robilotti ◽  
Karin Chow ◽  
Tarun Bist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Diagnostic Strategies ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Abstract Background New York City (NYC) experienced a surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in March and April 2020. Since then, universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–based surveillance testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) measures are in wide use in procedural settings. There is limited published experience on the utility and sustainability of PCR-based surveillance testing in areas with receding and consistently low community COVID-19 rates. Methods The study was conducted at a tertiary care cancer center in NYC from 22 March to 22 August 2020. Asymptomatic patients underwent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing before surgeries, interventional radiology procedures, and endoscopy. Contact tracing in procedural areas was done if a patient with an initial negative screen retested positive within 48 hours of the procedure. Results From March 22 until August 22, 2020, 11 540 unique patients underwent 14 233 tests before surgeries or procedures at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Overall, 65 patients were positive, with a peak rate of 4.3% that fell below 0.3% after April 2020. Among the 65 positive cases, 3 were presymptomatic and 38 were asymptomatic. Among asymptomatic test-positive patients, 76% had PCR cycle threshold &gt;30 at first detection. Five patients tested newly positive in the immediate postoperative period, exposing 82 employees with 1 case of probable transmission (1.2%). Conclusions The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection identified on preprocedural surveillance was low in our study, which was conducted in an area with limited community spread at the later stage of the study. Universal PPE is protective in procedural settings. Optimal and flexible diagnostic strategies are needed to accomplish and sustain the goals of comprehensive preprocedure surveillance testing.

Real-time medical control using a wireless audio-video transmission device in a pre-hospital emergency service in Korea

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 404-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Ji Kwak ◽  
Ji Man Kim ◽  
Il Hyung Shin ◽  
Sang Do Shin ◽  
Kyoung Jun Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Video Transmission ◽  
Emergency Service ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Hospital Emergency Service ◽  
Medical Control ◽  
Audio Video

scholarly journals Confronting COVID-19 - The case of PPE and Medical Devices production using Digital Fabrication at PUC-Rio

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 488-501
Author(s):  
Jorge Roberto Lopes Dos Santos ◽  
João Victor Correia de Melo ◽  
Leonardo Frajhof ◽  
Aline Reis Kauffmann
Keyword(s):  
Medical Devices ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Laser Cutting ◽  
Digital Fabrication ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
First Case ◽  
The City

At the end of 2019, the first cases of COVID-19 were registered. As the disease spread across continents culminating in a pandemic, countries suffered from a shortage of personal protective equipment. In Brazil, the first case was recorded on February 2020. This study aims to describe the experience of creating an interinstitutional network to meet the pandemic’s demands and the experience of transforming an academic design laboratory into space for the production of personal protective equipment using 3D printing and laser cutting techniques. The actions described in this study, made it possible to meet the high emergency demand for PPE in the city of Rio de Janeiro, as well as the construction of knowledge both within the scope of building networks to solve complex social problems and about the possibilities of production in an academic environment. The work addresses and reflexes this action on society's perception of Design professionals.

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