Bilio-pancreatic endoscopy during COVID-19 pandemic
Open Access
- 1 January 2020
- journal article
- review article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology
Abstract
On 31 December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology detected in Wuhan (Hubei Province of China). In January 2020, a new coronavirus named SARS-CoV2 was isolated and, since that time, SARS-CoV2 related disease (COVID-19) rapidly spread all over the world becoming pandemic in March 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak dramatically affected the public-health and the health-care facilities organization. Bilio-pancreatic endoscopy is considered a high-risk procedure for cross-contamination and, even though it is not directly involved in COVID-19 diagnosis and management, its reorganization is crucial to guarantee high standards of care minimizing the risk of SARS-CoV2 transmission among patients and health-care providers. Bilio-pancreatic endoscopic procedures often require a short physical distance between the endoscopist and the patient for a long period of time, a frequent exchange of devices, the involvement of a large number of personnel, the use of complex endoscopes difficult to reprocess. On this basis, endoscopic units should take precautions with adjusted management of bilio-pancreatic endoscopy. The aim of this article is to discuss the approach to bilio-pancreatic endoscopy in the COVID-19 era with focus on diagnostic algorithms, indications, management of the endoscopic room, proper use of Personal Protective Equipment and correct reprocessing of instrumentation.Keywords
This publication has 46 references indexed in Scilit:
- Violent expiratory events: on coughing and sneezingJournal of Fluid Mechanics, 2014
- Risk of transmission of carbapenem-resistantEnterobacteriaceaeand related “superbugs” during gastrointestinal endoscopyWorld Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2014
- Remoção de biofilme em canais de endoscópios: avaliação de métodos de desinfecção atualmente utilizadosRevista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 2012
- Aerosol Generating Procedures and Risk of Transmission of Acute Respiratory Infections to Healthcare Workers: A Systematic ReviewPLOS ONE, 2012
- Respiratory Performance Offered by N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks: Human Subject Evaluation with NaCl Aerosol Representing Bacterial and Viral Particle Size RangeThe Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 2008
- Supramolecular Architecture of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Revealed by Electron CryomicroscopyJournal of Virology, 2006
- Do N95 respirators provide 95% protection level against airborne viruses, and how adequate are surgical masks?American Journal of Infection Control, 2006
- Handwashing practice and the use of personal protective equipment among medical students after the SARS epidemic in Hong KongAmerican Journal of Infection Control, 2005
- Efficacy of various disinfectants against SARS coronavirusJournal of Hospital Infection, 2005
- Performance of N95 Respirators: Filtration Efficiency for Airborne Microbial and Inert ParticlesAihaj Journal, 1998