Further COVID-19 Infection Control and Management Recommendations for the ICU

• Main Author: Raschke RA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Arizona Thoracic Society 2020-03-01
• Series: Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care
• Subjects: covid-19; hepa; icu; aerosol; air purifying respirators; control; coronavirus; intubation; prevention; recommendations
• Online Access: http://www.swjpcc.com/critical-care/2020/3/26/further-covid-19-infection-control-and-management-recommenda.html

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. An ad hoc committee of intensivists from the Phoenix area has been meeting via Zoom. They are sharing some of their thoughts and recommendations. Like the previous ICU recommendations published in SWJPCC (1), these are not necessarily evidence-based but based on recent experience and published experience with previous coronavirus outbreaks such as SARS. They are meant to supplement CDC recommendations, not to conflict or restate them. Infection control outside the rooms of suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patients. 1. All healthcare workers should be allowed to exercise droplet precautions at all times while at work. 2. All staff should wear a single surgical mask per day to see all non-COVID patients and for rounds. The mask mitigates droplet spread bidirectionally between patients and HCWs and also helps prevent inadvertent touching of the nose and mouth. 3. Treat all code patients with airborne / standard / contact precautions 4. Use MDIs in preference to …