Coronavirus testing booth at Brigham and Women’s hospital reduces PPE, keeps docs safe

An innovative coronavirus testing booth developed by doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital requires no usage of personal protective equipment and keeps physicians safe while swabbing infected patients.

“By using the booth we don’t have to don and doff gloves and masks and gowns,” said Kevin Giordano, senior vice president of clinical services at BWH. “It acts as a highly protective barrier between the patient and the provider as testing occurs.”

While conducting a coronavirus test, an emergency department nurse stands inside the secure “B-Protected COVID-19 Booth” and puts their hands into large gloves that protrude outward towards the patient to get a sample for testing.

It completely eliminates the need for personal protective equipment, of which there is currently a nationwide shortage.

Dr. Sherry Yu, a resident physician at BWH developed the booth after getting inspiration from doctors in South Korea who did something similar, but had patients inside the booth instead of the nurse.

“It just started as a sketch on a whiteboard and within 96 hours the first model was built,” Yu said.

Nursing teams in the emergency department at the Brigham started using one booth a week ago and voiced positive feedback, Yu said.

“They are still able to obtain the samples the same way as they did before the booths,” Yu said.

Giordano said there are plans to make three more booths in the coming days and then build out about 10 additional units.

They will be used in the testing center along with the respiratory illness clinic, Giordano said, adding that the booths are durable for day-to-day use and undergo a formal cleaning protocol.

In times of crisis, workers are pushed to be creative and try new things, Giordano said.

“The booth is reflective of the people here at Brigham, if you ask anyone that works here, they are here because the people are thoughtful, smart, humble, driven, hardworking individuals,” said Giordano.

A limited supply of PPE is impacting hospitals across the nation as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise.

A statement from Partners HealthCare, which was founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital said, “At Partners, we remain concerned about the supply levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) for our health care workers and we are working around the clock in an attempt to improve our inventory of masks, gloves, gowns and other items.”

The statement said, “But, like health systems everywhere, we face uncertainty about what the full impact of this pandemic will be. We continue to appeal to the state and federal governments for additional resources from the strategic stockpile.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3aAgOXn