ABSTRACT
Background: Caregivers not being allowed into the COVID wards prevented them from being involved in caring for their relatives in respect of day-to-day activities such as eating, drinking, and walking to the washroom. The aim of this study was to observe the challenges faced by patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) with COVID-19 pneumonia. We also observed the impact of two simple nursing interventions related to feeding and defecation and noted their impact in terms of patient's satisfaction. Materials and Methods: A semi-structured feedback questionnaire was prepared to cover common challenges faced by patients after interview with 10 patients admitted at a COVID ICU. Two simple nursing interventions were performed related to feeding and defecation. Results: Breathlessness was the most common issue as all the patients admitted were hypoxic. Inability to perform routine day-to-day functions such as feeding, drinking, sitting, and walking were other common issues. Emotional issues like anxiety, fear homesickness, and loneliness were also very high. Most (69.44%) patients were satisfied with a blended diet which was easy to take for patients with breathlessness. Most (77.28%) of patients were satisfied with intervention of helping them sit on a commode chair while on oxygen. Conclusion: During this pandemic, where all our efforts seemed insufficient in face of this unprecedented crisis yet these small seemingly insignificant steps helped both the patients as well as nurses in making the atmosphere more positive.
ABSTRACT
Personal Protective Equipment are protective gear designed to safeguard the health care workers by minimizing exposure to a biological agent. Personal protective equipment includes mask, gloves, face and eye protection (face shield, goggles), gowns and full body suits. Different types of masks are available for specific purposes. Masks are intended for protecting others from respiratory emissions of the wearer while respirator protects wearer from small particles like aerosols besides large droplets. Face shields provide a barrier for suddenly expelled aerosol of body fluids and are commonly used as an alternative to goggles. Isolation gowns may be adequate for medium risk while coveralls provide full protection. It is important to know and appropriately choose the gowns based on the fabric and reliability of manufacturer. All health care workers need to be taught the correct sequence of donning and doffing-PPE in order to avoid contamination. Though not ideal, the most effective methods of sterilizing and reusing N95 masks during scarcity may have to be adopted. Essential protective measures depend heavily on the location of patient contact, the role of the particular health care facility and the hazard vulnerability analysis. Hazards for the health care worker can be through air, surface, equipment and body secretions. Personal Protective Equipment reduces the risk of acquiring infection through any of these routes. This article deals with the selection of appropriate personal protective equipment for the health care workers managing suspected or proven COVID-19 infected persons.