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Smart secretion management to protect nurses from COVID19 and other infectious diseases.
Saseedharan, Sanjith; Karanam, Roopa; Kadam, Vaijayanti; Shirsekar, Suvarna.
  • Saseedharan S; Head of Department of Critical Care, S L Raheja Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
  • Karanam R; Consultant of Department of Critical Care, S L Raheja Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
  • Kadam V; Consultant of Department of Critical Care, S L Raheja Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
  • Shirsekar S; Registered Nurse of Department of Critical Care, S L Raheja Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Nurs Crit Care ; 27(5): 706-710, 2022 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1066739
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

COVID-19 has been linked to over 40 million infections and 1.1 million deaths in 210 countries as of October 19, 2020. This highly contagious communicable disease has put not only infected individuals but other patients and frontline workers like nurses at risk in hospitals, especially in Intensive Care units (ICUs). There is a need for minimizing patient contact, improving hand hygiene practices, and optimizing healthcare provider time, especially nurses. Globally it is estimated that nearly a million health care providers have been infected with COVID-19 as of the end of October 2020.

METHODS:

This retrospective service evaluation documents the experience of health care providers in a COVID-19 ICU in India that was used to implement new protocols for secretion management and oral hygiene. Patient chart information and staff feedback were utilized. INTERVENTION This pilot study captures the practical benefits of using VAPCare, an automated, closed-loop system for oral secretion removal.

RESULTS:

Six patients were included in this small-scale study; three patients following the current standard of care for suctioning and oral hygiene and three receiving the new VAPCare and Lumen device protocol. With the new device protocol, the number of infected secretion interactions by a nurse was 50% lower, and nursing time spent on oral hygiene and secretion management 70% less than seen with the current standard of care. The number of disposable gloves used with VAPCare and Lumen was reduced by over 50%. All 10 nurses and six doctors gave positive feedback on device usage. The department recommended updating protocols to prioritize the use of the new secretion management system for patients with COVID19 and other highly contagious conditions.

CONCLUSION:

The findings are an early indication that using VAPCare for patients could help protect infected patients, other ICU patients, and health care workers.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Communicable Diseases / Hand Hygiene / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Nurs Crit Care Journal subject: Nursing / Critical Care Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Nicc.12586

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Communicable Diseases / Hand Hygiene / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Nurs Crit Care Journal subject: Nursing / Critical Care Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Nicc.12586