A slight decrease today in the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System. 25 are in the hospital, compared to 27 Friday, though the number had dropped to 20 on Sunday. Ten of those patients are in the ICU, up from 8 Friday, with 6 on ventilators, up from 5 Friday. In all, the hospital has nearly 50 COVID-19 patients either with acute symptoms or recovering.
It’s said necessity is the mother of invention, and a group of anesthesiologists from the health system joined to show n’ tell an innovation to keep medical staff and the patient safer from COVID19 when undergoing procedures. Solution? They built a tent.
Dr. Jared Staab is an anesthesiologist at The University of Kansas Health System. Doctors in that line of work are especially at risk of COVID-19 exposure from a patient on the operating table. Even when unconscious, the patient could still exhale the virus and infect those in the room. He and four of his fellow anesthesiologists came up with the idea of placing a barrier of some kind around the patient’s head. They began working in his garage and after several months of after-hours work, they came up with a device that looks like a small tent. It’s lightweight, portable, easy to assemble and disposable. With help from a Tonganoxie company called Biomedical Devices, they have a prototype of what they call the Contagion Tent, and recently tested the device in a simulated operation.
Dr. Jay Nachtigal explained how they had seen reports from China of a plexiglass barrier being used by some doctors and decided to expand on that. They realized the device needed to be portable with a good seal and he explained why negative air pressure was important too. He says after having the device put around his head to experience it as a patient, it’s not scary or restricting, and it’s comforting to be able to see through it. He also says this will cut down the amount of personal protective equipment needed during an operation.
Dr. Brigid Flynn, another anesthesiologist with the health system, demonstrated from a simulated operating room how the device works. She showed how doctors can interact with the patient through the sealed ports in the side without losing the negative air pressure. She says after testing the device, they have asked the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization, which would allow them to begin production of the devices and start using them in the health system. She says the goal is to eventually have healthcare workers around the world using the Contagion Tent.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, commented on the FDA giving Emergency Use Authorization for convalescent plasma, which the health system has been using in clinical trials in 70 to 80 patients. He says timing is important in knowing when to give the plasma. He also said you have to know your own body in determining when it’s time to seek medical care if you think you have COVID-19. He says if you have shortness of breath and a cough that won’t go away, it’s time. He reminded us that 85% of those with symptoms don’t need to be hospitalized. He also says day care should be safe for 3 to 5- year-olds as long as masks are being worn and hands are constantly being washed. He says a study from Georgia shows a very low level of transmissions under those conditions. He also says a flu shot will probably not protect you from COVID-19.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, said this invention shows there’s a silver lining to the pandemic which is innovation and collaboration. He also explained what the daily patient numbers given on the briefing mean and says the average length of stay for these patients is 6-7 days. He explained that a weekend fishing and float trip felt “almost normal” for him. He says if we observe the pillars of infection control, we can feel this same “almost normal” feeling for now and it’s up to us to take care of each other during the pandemic.
Tuesday, August 25 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. Carol Barnett had a heart transplant during COVID-19 when she couldn’t have family and friends around to support her. To hear folks tell it, her name should be in the dictionary under “resilient”. Carol’s transplant Surgeon Matthew Danter and Cardiologist Nicholas Haglund join the call.
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