Thread. Memo to all surgeons and anaesthesiologists: Why PPEs are absolutely essential in the OTs. How ORs can be viral wind tunnels. 1/n bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…
“Those who pick the virus up in the community — say, from touching an infected surface and then touching your face — are generally exposed to a lower viral load; the great majority don’t get a severe case of the disease.” 2/n
“Doctors repeatedly treating Covid-19 patients, however, are exposed to much more of the virus, which triggers a specific type of immune response called cytokine storms, in which the body’s own defenses overreact, cause inflammation and wreak havoc in the lungs.” 3/n
“This would also apply to aerosol-generating surgical procedures on even asymptomatic patients.” On asymptomatic COVID19 positive patients as well. Currently surgeons in the U.S. and in Europe are operating on Covid19 positive patients with only basic face masks, not the N95s 4/n
“If the OT has had anyone with the virus in it during the previous 72 hours the airborne aerosol could have landed on some surface, including the ceiling, protecting against that, even with stringent cleaning, is almost impossible.” n/5
“The implication is that very soon all our operating theaters will be covered in Covid-19. And then you switch on the ventilation and you blow it all over the place.” n/6
The real scope of this is yet to unfold, as elective surgeries are currently on hold. With the teeming asymptomatic carriers, this is a disaster waiting to happen. We need a rapid test for COVID, ASAP, and full PPEs for all personnel in the OTs. n/n
The disease isn’t going anywhere till June. The only way it will flatten out is when about 40-50% of the population gets infected over the next four months (a lot of those infected will be asymptomatic) and herd immunity comes through.
Can we hold elective surgical procedures till that time? Aggressive testing of pre-operative patients should become mandatory. As should N95 masks in the OTs.
