Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used every day by healthcare personnel (HCP) to protect themselves, patients, and others when providing care (1). PPE helps protect HCP from potentially infectious patients and materials, toxic medications, and other potentially dangerous substances used in healthcare delivery (1). 

PPE shortages are currently posing a tremendous challenge to the US healthcare system because of the COVID-19 pandemic (1). Healthcare facilities are having difficulty accessing the needed PPE and are having to identify alternate ways to provide patient care (1).

• Website: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331695/WHO-2019-nCov-IPC_PPE_use-2020.3-eng.pdf
• Excellent guidelines that cover an array of topics such as: 
  • Recommendations for optimizing the availability of PPE
  • Recommended PPE during the COVID-19 outbreak (according to setting, personnel and type of activity)
  • Considerations for decision making processes during severe shortages of PPE
  • Options for temporary measures due to the shortage of PPE: break down (in table format) the type of PPE, the measure being implemented (i.e. extended use, reprocessing etc), the description of how to implement the measure, the limitations/risks/removal criteria  and feasibility considerations during critical supply shortages. 
  • What the WHO does and does NOT recommend
  • Studies on medical masks and respirator reprocessing methods

• • Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/eye-protection.html (1)

 

• Extensive documentation explaining how to manage eye protection, supply of isolation gowns, face masks and N95 respirators (1).

 

• • The guidelines are provided based on three general strata used to describe surge capacity (i.e. conventional capacity, contingency capacity and crisis capacity) (1).

 

• UVC Sterilizer for COVID-19 Emergency (3)

 

• • • Website: https://www.instructables.com/id/UVC-Sterilizer-for-COVID-19-Emergency/
    • Machine using UVC developed and is being used in local ER hospitals to sterilize masks and other PPE. 

 

• Shortage of PPE Due to COVID-19 Driving Innovation by RT in The Philippines (4)

 

• • Website: https://www.itnonline.com/article/shortage-ppe-due-covid-19-driving-innovation-rt-philippines
  • Radiology technologist in Iloilo City, Philippines used some of the hospital’s spoiled X-ray film with the emulsion stripped off, foam packing material, elastic and a glue gun to make his own face masks. Some staff also are using rain coats they can sanitize and reuse as a substitute hazmat suit. 

 

• N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) Process for Decontamination and Reuse (5)

• Website: https://www.nebraskamed.com/sites/default/files/documents/covid-19/n-95-decon-process.pdf

 

• • • At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, health care workers are hanging up strings of used masks in a room with two UV light towers. After a five minutes treatment, the masks are ready to be used again. 

 

• JAMA Article: Sourcing Personal Protective Equipment During the COVID-19 Pandemic (6)

 

• • • Website: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2764031
    • Summary from JAMA’s editorial call for ideas around creative PPE usage and management (SEE BOX in linked description)

 

• Innovative Testing Strategy Reduces PPE Usage (7)

 

• • Website: https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2020/04/14/innovative-testing-strategy-conserves-ppe-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
  • Freestanding booth in New England is one of its kind. The walk-up testing booth keeps the ED nursing staff protected as they stand behind clear polycarbonate panels to collect samples.