Protection against exposure to SARS-CoV-2 includes standard and transmission-based precautions. PPE used to prevent exposure includes gloves, a gown, a respirator rated N95 or higher, and a full face shield or glasses. When respirators are not available, masks are an acceptable alternative. These recommendations can be updated during the Covid-19 pandemic as best practice decisions change.
However, as zoonotic respiratory pathogens emerge, surgeons and their teams will need to adapt quickly to what will adequately protect them and their patients. Advances in human factor engineering lead to equipment design that will improve, rather than impair, performance. Healthcare professionals can improve patient safety and protect themselves by understanding how they are affected by physiological and psychological stressors and then implementing appropriate countermeasures. As new personal protective equipment is developed, its impact on breathing, vision, hearing, physical movement and anxiety must be considered during design and certification, especially if the device is to be used extensively.
If help is needed, assistants will need to put on personal protective equipment before entering the patient care area, so doctors should ask for help beforehand, especially if the patient is developing respiratory failure and may need emergency intubation. The stressors placed on healthcare professionals through their work environment and the additional burden of wearing personal protective equipment are cumulative. This forces a person to breathe at a normalized speed and depth, since hyperventilation is almost impossible when speaking. DHS expects that the National Strategic Reserve (SNS) personal protective equipment (PPE) will not fully meet the needs of the provider community operating at full capacity.
And through these measures, the FDA mitigated potential supply chain shortages and ensured that healthcare personnel, first and foremost, had access to PPE supplies, and that the general public was also informed of what they could do to help stop the spread by wearing masks, including the face fabric covers. When PPE is used, removed, and disposed of properly, it is effective in protecting both the person using it and the people with whom that person comes into contact. This decline in the infection rate is likely to be a reflection of the PPE measures implemented to adequately protect healthcare workers. Improved procedures and workspace design can improve the safety of personal protective equipment and reduce the risk of contamination.
