How to Cope with COVID-19 in the Endoscopy Room

• Main Authors: Eunwoo Lee, Soo-Jeong Cho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jin Publishing & Printing Co. 2021-04-01
• Series: The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology
• Subjects: covid-19; sars-cov-2; endoscopy; personal protective equipment; infection control
• Online Access: http://www.kjg.or.kr/journal/view.html?uid=5691&vmd=Full
• ISSN: 1598-9992; 2233-6869

We are now in the middle of an unprecedented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and efforts to prevent the spread of infections are more important than ever. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, is transmitted through respiratory droplets or contaminated surfaces, and air transmission may be possible during some aerosol-generating procedures, requiring systematic infection control of the surrounding environment. Prior to endoscopy, suspected COVID-19 patients need to be screened, and all workers in the endoscopy room need to wear appropriate personal protective equipment. Isolate and move with a distance of 1-1.8 m or more between patients, and prevent close contact and cross-infection by limiting parental visits and minimizing latency in the waiting room or recovery room. If a COVID-19 infection is suspected or confirmed, it is recommended to postpone the endoscopic examination as much as possible, but if emergency endoscopy is necessary, a minimum number of people shall perform it in the negative pressure room. It is recommended to clean and sterilize the endoscope and accessories based on the current disinfection guidelines, and the treatment room should resume the procedure after a certain period of time after disinfection. In the endoscopy room, thorough infection control will be important for the safety of patients and medical staff, and as new information on SARS-CoV-2 is updated, continuous efforts will be needed to ensure the quality and safety of endoscopy until the end of COVID-19.