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Variations In Covid-19 Airway Management And Preparedness Among Victorian Hospitals, Kaylee A. Jordan, Teresa M. Sindoni, Reny Segal, Keat Lee, Roni B. Krieser, Paul Mezzavia, Yinwei Chen, Irene Ng

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant concerns surrounding the risk of transmission to health care workers involved in airway management of patients with suspected or known infection. Limited evidence has been available to guide the preparation of staff, intubation environments, team structure and personal protective equipment. Our study invited Victorian hospitals to complete a survey on their airway management practices and protocols, in order to assess the degree of variability in practice and preparedness. Twenty hospitals responded in September 2020, during Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19. Forty percent had dedicated COVID-19 intubation teams, all including consultant anaesthetists. Seventy-five percent had negatively …

Post-Operative Use Of Hme Filter‑Protected Open Tracheostomy Circuit During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Way Siong Koh, Irene Ng, Megan Downing

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

Introduction

In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the avoidance of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) is paramount to reduce the risk of viral transmission to staff and other patients. Perioperative management of a new tracheostomy is challenging as routine care, such as suctioning, frequently involves AGPs.

Methods

We developed and implemented an apparatus called the heat and moisture exchanger (HME) filter-protected open circuit. This enabled closed suctioning to be performed and allowed spontaneously breathing patients to be managed with an open circuit in a shared environment while reducing the risk of viral aerosolisation. We performed a prospective observational study of …