Possible SARS Coronavirus Transmission During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Details

• Personal Author:
  Christian MD ; Gold WL ; Green K ; Loutfy M ; Low DE ; Martinez, Kenneth F. ; McDonald LC ; Mederski B ; Ofner M ; Wallington T ; Wong T
• Description:
  Infection of healthcare workers with the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is thought to occur primarily by either contact or large respiratory droplet transmission. However, infrequent healthcare worker infections occurred despite the use of contact and droplet precautions, particularly during certain aerosol-generating medical procedures. We investigated a possible cluster of SARS-CoV infections in healthcare workers who used contact and droplet precautions during attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation of a SARS patient. Unlike previously reported instances of transmission during aerosol-generating procedures, the index case-patient was unresponsive, and the intubation procedure was performed quickly and without difficulty. However, before intubation, the patient was ventilated with a bag-valve-mask that may have contributed to aerosolization of SARS-CoV. On the basis of the results of this investigation and previous reports of SARS transmission during aerosol-generating procedures, a systematic approach to the problem is outlined, including the use of the following: 1) administrative controls, 2) environmental engineering controls, 3) personal protective equipment, and 4) quality control. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Health Personnel Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Health-care-facilities Health-care-personnel Infection-control Infectious-diseases Protective-equipment Protective-measures Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-system-disorders
• ISSN:
  1080-6040
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  287-293
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20026096
• Citation:
  Emerg Infect Dis 2004 Feb; 10(2):287-293
• Contact Point Address:
  Michael D. Christian, Immunodeficiency Clinic University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth St., Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4
• Email:
  Michael.Christian@utoronto.ca
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2004
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4a4dbd83745a0a736d27a1a9b7e7f32f64d9807964fe446be45b320e258d752463beb841028c290c68bffdf02597717eb0a66dfb818ed2a45699fffee1ada083
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/197188/cdc_197188_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.85 MB ]