Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Moral Distress Among Nurses and Physicians in Spanish ICUs.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on moral distress (MD) among healthcare professionals (HCPs) (physicians and nurses) in Spanish ICUs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, prospective study. SETTING: ICUs in Spain. PARTICIPANTS: HCPs currently working in Spanish ICUs. INTERVENTIONS: Data were collected via electronic survey with the use of a 50-item questionnaire in two different periods: prepandemic (October-December 2019) and during the second wave of COVID-19 (September-November 2020). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: During the prepandemic and pandemic periods, 1,065 (57.1% nurses) and 1,115 (58.5% nurses) HCPs completed the questionnaire, respectively. Higher MD levels were reported during COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among ICU nurses, when compared with the prepandemic period. Before COVID-19, physicians reported significantly higher levels of MD than ICU nurses (80.0 [interquartile range {IQR}, 40.0-135.0] vs 61.0 [IQR, 35.0-133.0]; p = 0.026). These differences disappeared during the pandemic period (81.0 [IQR, 39.0-138.5] vs 74.0 [IQR, 41.0-143.0]; p = 0.837). During the pandemic, younger and less experienced HCPs working in hospital areas that were converted in ICU or in ICUs with multiple occupancy rooms reported higher MD levels. In addition, HCPs who were off work for psychologic burden reported higher MD levels (108.0 [IQR, 66.0-139.0] vs 76.0 [IQR, 40.0-141.0]; p < 0.05). In the prepandemic period, patient-level root causes were the most morally distressing for nurses, whereas physicians reported higher MD on system-level root causes. During the pandemic, both groups reported higher MD on system-level root causes. During COVID-19, significantly more HCPs considered leaving their job due to MD. CONCLUSIONS: MD has increased among ICU HCPs in Spain during COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians reported higher MD levels than nurses in the prepandemic period, whereas both HCPs groups reported similar MD levels in the pandemic period. Strategies are needed and should be implemented to mitigate MD among HCPs.

Analysis of Physiological Response during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation with Personal Protective Equipment: A Randomized Crossover Study.

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for the self-protection of healthcare workers during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in patients at risk of aerosol transmission of infectious agents. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of personal protective equipment on physiological parameters during CPR. A randomized, quasi-experimental, crossover design was used. The study was carried out in a training and simulation emergency box and the total sample consisted of 20 healthcare professionals. Two CPR tests were compared with the recommended sequence of 30 chest compressions and 2 ventilations. The duration of each test was 20 min. One of the CPR tests was carried out without using any PPE (CPR_control), i.e., performed with the usual clothing of each rescuer. The other test was carried out using a CPR test with PPE (i.e., CPR_PPE). The main variables of interest were: CPR quality, compressions, ventilations, maximum heart rate, body fluid loss, body temperature, perceived exertion index, comfort, thermal sensation and sweating. The quality of the CPR was similar in both tests. The maximum heart rate was higher in the active intervals (compressions + bag-valve-mask) of the test with PPE. CPR_PPE meant an increase in the perceived effort, temperature at the start of the thermal sensation test, thermal comfort and sweating, as opposed to CPR performed with usual clothing. Performing prolonged resuscitation with PPE did not influence CPR quality, but caused significant physiological demands. Rescuers were more fatigued, sweated more and their thermal comfort was worse. These results suggest that physical preparation should be taken into account when using PPE and protocols for physiological recovery after use should also be established.

Airborne infection risk during open-air cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

AIM: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure where interpersonal distance cannot be maintained. There are and will always be outbreaks of infection from airborne diseases. Our objective was to assess the potential risk of airborne virus transmission during CPR in open-air conditions. METHODS: We performed advanced high-fidelity three-dimensional modelling and simulations to predict airborne transmission during out-of-hospital hands-only CPR. The computational model considers complex fluid dynamics and heat transfer phenomena such as aerosol evaporation, breakup, coalescence, turbulence, and local interactions between the aerosol and the surrounding fluid. Furthermore, we incorporated the effects of the wind speed/direction, the air temperature and relative humidity on the transport of contaminated saliva particles emitted from a victim during a resuscitation process based on an Airborne Infection Risk (AIR) Index. RESULTS: The results reveal low-risk conditions that include wind direction and high relative humidity and temperature. High-risk situations include wind directed to the rescuer, low humidity and temperature. Combinations of other conditions have an intermediate AIR Index and risk for the rescue team. CONCLUSIONS: The fluid dynamics, simulation-based AIR Index provides a classification of the risk of contagion by victim's aerosol in the case of hands-only CPR considering environmental factors such as wind speed and direction, relative humidity and temperature. Therefore, we recommend that rescuers perform a quick assessment of their airborne infectious risk before starting CPR in the open air and positioning themselves to avoid wind directed to their faces.

Safe On-Boat Resuscitation by Lifeguards in COVID-19 Era: A Pilot Study Comparing Three Sets of Personal Protective Equipment.

INTRODUCTION: On-boat resuscitation can be applied by lifeguards in an inflatable rescue boat (IRB). Due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) and recommendations for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), prehospital care procedures need to be re-evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine how the use of PPE influences the amount of preparation time needed before beginning actual resuscitation and the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR; QCPR) on an IRB. METHODS: Three CPR tests were performed by 14 lifeguards, in teams of two, wearing different PPE: (1) Basic PPE (B-PPE): gloves, a mask, and protective glasses; (2) Full PPE (F-PPE): B-PPE + a waterproof apron; and (3) Basic PPE + plastic blanket (B+PPE). On-boat resuscitation using a bag-valve-mask (BVM) and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter was performed sailing at 20km/hour. RESULTS: Using B-PPE takes less time and is significantly faster than F-PPE (B-PPE 17 [SD = 2] seconds versus F-PPE 69 [SD = 17] seconds; P = .001), and the use of B+PPE is slightly higher (B-PPE 17 [SD = 2] seconds versus B+PPE 34 [SD = 6] seconds; P = .002). The QCPR remained similar in all three scenarios (P >.05), reaching values over 79%. CONCLUSION: The use of PPE during on-board resuscitation is feasible and does not interfere with quality when performed by trained lifeguards. The use of a plastic blanket could be a quick and easy alternative to offer extra protection to lifeguards during CPR on an IRB.

Propuesta de adaptación de las recomendaciones de reanimación cardiopulmonar pediátrica avanzada a la infección por coronavirus

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Plastic blanket drowning kit: A protection barrier to immediate resuscitation at the beach in the Covid-19 era. A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Introducing a new, simple and inexpensive portable equipment for lifeguards, consisting of a pre-assembled full-size plastic blanket with a mask and HEPA filter, which could offer significant time-saving advantages to reduce COVID-19 risk transmission in the first few minutes of CPR after water rescue, avoiding the negative impact of delayed ventilation. METHOD: A pilot study was carried out to determine the feasibility of the pre-assembled kit of face-mask and HEPA filter adapted on a pre-set plastic-blanket. The first step consisted of washing hands, putting on safety glasses and gloves as the first personal protection equipment (PPE) and then covering the victim with an assembled plastic blanket. The second step consisted of 10 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with PPE and plastic blanket, following the technical recommendations for ventilation during COVID-19. RESULTS: Ten rescuers took part in the pilot study. The average time to wear PPE and place the pre-assembly kit on the victim was 82 s [IC 58-105]. After 10 min the quality of the resuscitation (QCPR) was 91% [87-94]. Quality chest compressions (CC) were 22% better than ventilations (V). Most of the rescuers (60%) thought that placing the plastic blanket on the victim on the beach was somewhat simple or very simple. CONCLUSIONS: Resuscitation techniques in COVID-19 era at the beach have added complexities for the correct use of PPE. Plastic blanket plus basic ventilations equipment resource could be a new alternative to be considered for lifeguards to keep ventilation on use while reducing risk transmission.

[National recommendations on pediatric donation]. / Recomendaciones nacionales sobre donación pediátrica.

Despite being an international reference in donation and transplantation, Spain needs to improve pediatric donation, including donation after the circulatory determination of death. The present article, a summary of the consensus report prepared by the Organización Nacional de Trasplantes and the Spanish Pediatrics Association, intends the facilitation of donation procedures in newborns and children and the analysis of associated ethical dilemma. The ethical basis for donation in children, the principles of clinical assessment of possible donors, the criteria for the determination of death in children, intensive care management of donors, basic concepts of donation after the circulatory determination of death and the procedures for donation in newborns with severe nervous system's malformation incompatible with life, as well as in children receiving palliative care are commented. Systematically considering the donation of organs and tissues when a child dies in conditions consistent with donation is an ethical imperative and must become an ethical standard, not only because of the need of organs for transplantation, but also to ensure family centered care.