scholarly journals Supplying Personal Protective Equipment to Intensive Care Units during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Colombia. A Simheuristic Approach Based on the Location-Routing Problem

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7822
Author(s):  
Andrés Martínez-Reyes ◽  
Carlos L. Quintero-Araújo ◽  
Elyn L. Solano-Charris
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Demand Uncertainty ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Location Routing Problem ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Location Routing

The coronavirus disease 2019, known as COVID-19, has generated an imminent necessity for personal protective equipment (PPE) that became essential for all populations and much more for health centers, clinics, hospitals, and intensive care units (ICUs). Considering this fact, one of the main issues for cities’ governments is the distribution of PPE to ICUs to ensure the protection of medical personnel and, therefore, the sustainability of the health system. Aware of this challenge, in this paper, we propose a simheuristic approach for supplying personal protective equipment to intensive care units which is based on the location-routing problem (LRP). The objective is to provide decision makers with a decision support tool that considers uncertain demands, distribution cost, and reliability in the solutions. To validate our approach, a case study in Bogotá, Colombia was analyzed. Computational results show the efficiency of the usage of alternative safety stock policies to face demand uncertainty in terms of both expected stochastic costs and reliabilities.

scholarly journals Location-Routing Problem of Emergency Facilities under Uncertain Demand by Branch-Price and Cut

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xuchen Deng
Keyword(s):  
Demand Uncertainty ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Location Routing Problem ◽  
Protection Level ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Support Set ◽  
Location Routing ◽  
Robust Model ◽  
Price Cutting ◽  
Resource Constrained Shortest Path

This paper studies the location-routing problem of emergency facilities with time window under demand uncertainty. We propose a robust mathematical model in which uncertain requirements are represented by two forms: the support set defined by cardinal constraint set. When the demand value of rescue point changes in a given definition set, the model can ensure the feasibility of each line. We propose a branch and price cutting algorithm, whose pricing problem is a robust resource-constrained shortest path problem. In addition, we take the Wenchuan Earthquake as an example to verify the practicability of the method. The robust model is simulated under different uncertainty levels and distributions and compared with the scheme obtained by the deterministic problem. The results show that the robust model can run successfully and maintain its robustness, and the robust model provides better protection against demand uncertainty. In addition, we find that cost is more sensitive to uncertainty level than protection level, and our proposed model also allows controlling the robustness level of the solution by adjusting the protection level. In all experiments, the cost of robustness is that the routing cost increases by an average of 13.87%.

DELIVERING INTENSIVE CARE TO COVID-19 PATIENTS WHILE PROTECTING THEMSELVES: CHALLENGES FACED BY FRONT LINE ANAESTHESIOLOGISTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-21
Author(s):  
Monica Chhikara ◽  
Prashant Kumar ◽  
Priyanka Bansal ◽  
Reena Mahajan ◽  
Preeti Gehlaut ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Airway Management ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Central Venous ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Junior Residents

Background and Objectives: Frontline anaesthesiologist working in Covid 19 Intensive care units are the key to the management and containment of this infectious disease. Hence, their protection is of utmost importance in managing this epidemic. The equipment used for this purpose, pose technical difculties. This study is a survey of these challenges faced by anaesthesiologists. Material and Methods: This is a descriptive, cross sectional questionnaire based study which included 67 Anesthesiologist junior residents, senior residents and consultants. A valid Google form Questionnaire regarding technical difculties due to use of personal protective equipment was prepared and sent online to all participants. The responses were recorded and tabulated. Results: Physical fatigue due to PPE was experienced by 36(53.7%) residents and difculties in airway management by 66(98.5%) residents. Fogging of goggles was the major difculty (52.2%) during airway management. Intubation while using only PPE (71.6%) was a preferred method of intubation rather than using acrylic box (4.5%) or transparent sheet (23.9%). Apart from managing airway, other procedures like central venous cannulation was found to be always difcult (23.9%). Training program for managing pandemic was found to be helpful and 70.1% residents expressed the need for its conduct before every posting. Conclusion: Managing Covid 19 patients in a highly demanding area like intensive care units while using personal protective equipment has unveiled special challenges and concerns for frontline anaesthesiologists. Addressing them appropriately is the need of hour for the wellbeing of healthcare workers and effective patient management.

A decision-support tool for a capacitated location-routing problem

2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 366-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Borges Lopes ◽  
Sérgio Barreto ◽  
Carlos Ferreira ◽  
Beatriz Sousa Santos
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Location Routing Problem ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Location Routing ◽  
Capacitated Location

scholarly journals State of Personal Protective Equipment Practice in Indian Intensive Care Units amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 809-816
Author(s):  
Prashant Kumar ◽  
Arvind Rajamani ◽  
Jumana Yusuf Haji ◽  
Ashwin Subramaniam ◽  
Kollengode Ramanathan
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Protective Equipment

scholarly journals Specifying and Mitigating Thermal Stress Effects on Cognition During Personal Protective Equipment Use

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-703
Author(s):  
P. A. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Stress Effects ◽  
Care Facilities

Objective To report present understanding concerning selected task and environmental factors influencing the changing performance capacity associated with use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Background Much knowledge is available concerning change in complex cognitive capacities under the effects of thermal stress. Our science can inform critical care facilities as to remediation strategies such as work–rest schedules to minimize performance error in highly cognitively demanding circumstances such as intensive care units. Method The present exposition draws from the state-of-the-art understanding concerning thermal stress effects on cognition and workload in complex and demanding tasks. Results The summation and synthesis of HF/E findings provides important insights into combinatorial effects of forms of stress, typically dealt with only as discrete sources in traditional standards and regulations. The identified interaction between ascending thermal stress and cognitive task demand provides an instance of the plurality of ways HF/E can specify performance limitations in safety-critical circumstances, as witnessed in the current pandemic. Conclusion Accumulated HF/E insights provide systematic ways in which to address and ameliorate the combined forces of physical and cognitive stress on medical personnel constrained to use varying forms of PPE. These principles extend beyond this specific domain to all who are required to work in differential and isolated microclimates. Application To minimize the possibility of critical and life-threatening error in intensive care facilities which necessitate PPE use, we need principled work–rest ratio and heat stress mitigation guidance. To promote health, we need to champion healthy work practices in our health workers. HF/E insights can help achieve this important goal.

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