ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a marked disruption in the delivery of medical care, resulting in significant negative consequences for patients. Considering Covid-19 spreads primarily through expelled respiratory droplets, the ability to detect and measure droplets is critical to the development of clinical protective practices. However, most available methods are either unsuitable for the clinical setting, or cannot distinguish solid particles from liquid droplets. We developed a robust and portable optical instrument capable of measuring the size and quantity of droplets generated during medical procedures. Here we outline the system design and describe our preclinical measurements, which showed that surgical masks significantly reduce the number of expelled speech droplets. Copyright © 2022 SPIE.
ABSTRACT
Introduction Epistaxis was the third most common unscheduled ENT surgical intervention in Ireland in 2019. Otorhinolaryngologists are exposed to a high viral reservoir of Sars-CoV-2, as they are dealing with pathology in the upper respiratory tract. Risk analysis is required to minimise nosocomial transmission. Methods A prospective audit of epistaxis management in the outpatients at a tertiary hospital was undertaken pre pandemic. A retrospective review of patients records during the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. Comparative analysis was utilised to assess outcomes. Results Pre Sars-CoV-2 analysis revealed 14 patients (70%) were manged with rigid endoscopy compared to one (5%) interpandemic. Cauterization treated 20 patients (100%) pre pandemic and four patients (20%) interpandemic. Nasal packing modality differed in that 13 patients (65%) were treated with Nasopore pre pandemic and 14 (70%) with Rapid Rhino interpandemic. This exhibited a paradigm shift in that 18 (90%) patients were managed conservatively with nasal packing interpandemic. Conclusion A paradigm shift in the management of Epistaxis during the pandemic has led to treatment which is less invasive, has less morbidity for the patient, requires less hospital admissions and lessens nosocomial transmission of the Sars-CoV-2. Further study is required given the advent of vaccines and development of various strains Sars-CoV-2.