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THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
Aerosol boxes meant to protect health care workers when they intubate COVID-19<\/a> patients may actually increase their exposure to airborne virus particles, an Australian study warns.<\/p>\n Intubation<\/a> is done when patients are placed on a ventilator.<\/p>\n Aerosol boxes have been touted as a quick, simple way to protect workers, but their effectiveness and safety were never clinically tested. No international guideline on personal protective equipment has endorsed their use.<\/p>\n Even though experts have raised concern that the devices may put health care workers at risk, they are in use worldwide.<\/p>\n In this study, researchers tested the effectiveness of five aerosol containment methods (aerosol box; sealed box with and without suction; vertical drape; and horizontal drape) compared with no intervention.<\/p>\n Volunteers held a bottle of harmless fluid just under their mouth, and coughed every 30 seconds. Detection devices were used to count different-sized airborne particles and assess particle spread for five minutes.<\/p>\n Compared with using no containment device, exposure to airborne particles of all sizes was higher when an aerosol box was used, the study found.<\/p>\n If COVID-19<\/a> particles act the same way as the fluid used in this simulation, the results suggest the aerosol box increases exposure to virus particles — in some cases by a factor of five times or more, according to findings published July 9 in the journal Anaesthesia<\/i>.<\/p>\n The investigation was conducted by a team at Intensive Care and Anaesthesia Specialists at Eastern Health in Melbourne. Peter Chan and Joanna Simpson, who led the effort, said the research team was surprised by the findings.<\/p>\n “Spikes of airborne particles were clearly seen, coinciding with patient coughing<\/a>. We believe that these represent particles escaping from the arm access holes in the aerosol box,” the researchers reported.<\/p>\n The race to provide protective equipment has resulted in a variety of devices, but evidence of their safety and effectiveness has been lacking, the study authors said.<\/p>\n “This study demonstrates that devices such as the aerosol box we tested — which is typical of designs used worldwide — confer minimal to no benefit in containing aerosols during an aerosol-generating procedure and may increase rather than decrease airborne particle exposure,” the authors concluded.<\/p>\n In a journal news release, Chan said if the aerosol box were sold as a product and regulated, it would probably need to be recalled immediately due to the potential infection risk for health care workers.<\/p>\n “Unfortunately, because these devices have been donated and are not regulated in any way, health care workers might be continuing to increase their exposure to COVID-19<\/a> while thinking they are protecting themselves,” he added.<\/p>\n — Robert Preidt<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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