ABSTRACT
Ventilator associated pneumonia(VAP) is a severe complication that can lead to high mortality when not early identified or when therapy is delayed. The aim of this study was to evaluate procalcitonin(PCT) as a biomarker for VAP development. In total, 73 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were analyzed. PCT levels greater than 0.975ng/mL were more related to VAP. No association was found for C-reactive protein (CRP). The results show that procalcitonin may be a pertinent biomarker for VAP diagnosis and can be a helpful tool for antibiotic withdrawal.
Subject(s)
Antimicrobial Stewardship/methods , COVID-19/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated/diagnosis , Procalcitonin/blood , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Biomarkers/blood , COVID-19/complications , Female , Humans , Intensive Care Units , Male , Middle Aged , Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated/complications , Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated/drug therapy , ROC Curve , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19 Drug TreatmentABSTRACT
This study assessed the disinfection using 70% ethanol; H2O2-quaternary ammonium salt mixture; 0.1% sodium hypochlorite and autoclaving of four 3D-printed face shields with different designs, visor materials; and visor thickness (0.5-0.75 mm). We also investigated their clinical suitability by applying a questionnaire to health workers (HW) who used them. Each type of disinfection was done 40 times on each type of mask without physical damage. In contrast, autoclaving led to appreciable damage.