ABSTRACT
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced every radiology set-up to evolve and formulate guidelines for day-to-day functioning. The sub-speciality of neuroradiology, both diagnostic and neuro-intervention, forms a very important part of any radiology or 'neuro-care' set-up. The present document is a consensus statement of the Indian Society of Neuroradiology, prepared after reviewing the available data and working experience. It scientifically tries to answer many questions faced by neuroradiologists everyday in practice. It encompasses simple things such as which patients need to be imaged, what precautions are essential, the work-flows, cleaning of radiology equipment, how to carry out neuro-interventions in COVID-suspect patients, and what procedures/tests to avoid, or their alternatives, to minimise the spread of COVID infection both to the patients and health care personnel. As radiology set-ups can be large, every sub-speciality may have certain precautions which will not be covered in general guidelines, and this document tries to answer those for neuroradiologists. Carefully evolved Standards of Operating Procedure (SOPs) and guidelines are the need of the hour to guide in providing uninterrupted and adequate services to the needy without compromising the safety of the specialised work force and facilities involved.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Infection Control/methods , Neuroimaging/methods , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Radiology, Interventional/methods , Allied Health Personnel , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Disinfection , Emergencies , Fumigation , Humans , India , Personal Protective Equipment , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling , Radiology/methods , SARS-CoV-2 , Societies, Medical , VentilationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to healthcare organizations worldwide. A steadily rising number of patients requiring intensive care, a large proportion from racial and ethnic minorities, demands creative solutions to provide high-quality care while ensuring healthcare worker safety in the face of limited resources. Boston Medical Center has been particularly affected due to the underserved patient population we care for and the increased risk of ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection. METHODS: We present protocol modifications developed to manage patients with acute ischemic stroke in a safe and effective manner while prioritizing judicious use of personal protective equipment and intensive care unit resources. CONCLUSION: We feel this information will benefit other organizations facing similar obstacles in caring for the most vulnerable patient populations during this ongoing public health crisis.