tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Infect Chemother
. 2020 Aug 19.
Online ahead of print.
A Universal Screening Strategy for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Intensive Care Units: Korean Experience in a Single Hospital
Euijin Chang[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Jae Sung Choi[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Tae Yun Park[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Seung Bin Kim[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Suhui Ko[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yang Sun Kwon[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Eun Jin Kim[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hyunju Song[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hwa Kyung Noh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sang Won Park[SUP] 1 2 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is not differentiated clinically from other respiratory infections, and intensive care units (ICUs) are vulnerable to in-hospital transmission due to interventions inducing respiratory aerosols. This study evaluated the effectiveness of universal SARS-CoV-2 screening in ICUs in terms of screened-out cases and reduction in anxiety of healthcare personnel (HCP).
Materials and methods: This prospective single-armed observational study was conducted in 2 ICUs of a single hospital. The number of patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by the screening program and healthcare workers in ICUs that visited the SARS-CoV-2 screening clinic or infection clinic were investigated.
Results: During the 7-week study period, no positive screening case was reported among a total of 142 patients. Among 86 HCP in the ICUs, only 2 HCP sought medical consultation for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the initial 2 weeks.
Conclusion: A universal screening program for SARS-CoV-2 infection in ICUs with the coordination of other countermeasures in the hospital was reasonably effective in preventing in-hospital transmission in a pandemic situation and making clinical practices and HCP stable.
Keywords: COVID; Intensive care unit; Nosocomial infection; SARS-CoV-2; Screening.
. 2020 Aug 19.
Online ahead of print.
A Universal Screening Strategy for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Intensive Care Units: Korean Experience in a Single Hospital
Euijin Chang[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Jae Sung Choi[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Tae Yun Park[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Seung Bin Kim[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Suhui Ko[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yang Sun Kwon[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Eun Jin Kim[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hyunju Song[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hwa Kyung Noh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sang Won Park[SUP] 1 2 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32869556
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is not differentiated clinically from other respiratory infections, and intensive care units (ICUs) are vulnerable to in-hospital transmission due to interventions inducing respiratory aerosols. This study evaluated the effectiveness of universal SARS-CoV-2 screening in ICUs in terms of screened-out cases and reduction in anxiety of healthcare personnel (HCP).
Materials and methods: This prospective single-armed observational study was conducted in 2 ICUs of a single hospital. The number of patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by the screening program and healthcare workers in ICUs that visited the SARS-CoV-2 screening clinic or infection clinic were investigated.
Results: During the 7-week study period, no positive screening case was reported among a total of 142 patients. Among 86 HCP in the ICUs, only 2 HCP sought medical consultation for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the initial 2 weeks.
Conclusion: A universal screening program for SARS-CoV-2 infection in ICUs with the coordination of other countermeasures in the hospital was reasonably effective in preventing in-hospital transmission in a pandemic situation and making clinical practices and HCP stable.
Keywords: COVID; Intensive care unit; Nosocomial infection; SARS-CoV-2; Screening.