Infection control in the intensive care unit: expert consensus statements for SARS-CoV-2 using a Delphi method.
Lancet Infect Dis
; 22(3): e74-e87, 2022 03.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1510480
ABSTRACT
During the current COVID-19 pandemic, health-care workers and uninfected patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 as a result of transmission from infected patients and health-care workers. In the absence of high-quality evidence on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, clinical practice of infection control and prevention in ICUs varies widely. Using a Delphi process, international experts in intensive care, infectious diseases, and infection control developed consensus statements on infection control for SARS-CoV-2 in an ICU. Consensus was achieved for 31 (94%) of 33 statements, from which 25 clinical practice statements were issued. These statements include guidance on ICU design and engineering, health-care worker safety, visiting policy, personal protective equipment, patients and procedures, disinfection, and sterilisation. Consensus was not reached on optimal return to work criteria for health-care workers who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 or the acceptable disinfection strategy for heat-sensitive instruments used for airway management of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Well designed studies are needed to assess the effects of these practice statements and address the remaining uncertainties.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Infection Control
/
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
/
Consensus
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
/
Intensive Care Units
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Lancet Infect Dis
Journal subject:
Communicable Diseases
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S1473-3099(21)00626-5
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