COVID-19 safety: aerosol-generating procedures and cardiothoracic surgery and anaesthesia - Australian and New Zealand consensus statement.

COVID-19 safety: aerosol-generating procedures and cardiothoracic surgery and anaesthesia - Australian and New Zealand consensus statement. Med J Aust. 2020 Oct 11;: Authors: Irons JF, Pavey W, Bennetts JS, Granger E, Tutungi E, Almeida A Abstract INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease that is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Health care workers are at risk of infection from aerosolisation of respiratory secretions, droplet and contact spread. There are a number of procedures that represent a high risk of aerosol generation during cardiothoracic surgery. It is important that adequate training, equipment and procedures are in place to reduce that risk. RECOMMENDATIONS: We provide a number of key recommendations, which reduce the risk of aerosol generation during cardiothoracic surgery and help protect patients and staff. These include general measures such as patient risk stratification, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, consideration to delay surgery in positive patients, and careful attention to theatre planning and preparation. There are also recommended procedural interventions during airway management, transoesophageal echocardiography, cardiopulmonary bypass, chest drain management and specific cardiothoracic surgical procedures. Controversies exist regarding the management of low risk patients undergoing procedures at high risk...
Source: Medical Journal of Australia - Category: General Medicine Tags: Med J Aust Source Type: research