Flow Accuracy of IV Smart Pumps Outside of Patient Rooms During COVID-19

I late 2019 the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China, causing severe respiratory illness with persistent person-to-person transmission.1-3 The first diagnosed case in the United States was reported in late January, sparking an initial US public health response that included restricted travel, traveler screening, and required quarantine.1 Because of the growing number of cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency on January 30, 2020; on March 11, 2020, the WHO issued a pandemic declaration.4,5 With the disease showing a high transmission rate, atypical symptoms, high rates of mortality, and documented transmission from patient to health care worker, fear grew as countries hurried to prepare.3 When a previously unknown pathogen causes an epidemic rate of infection, the success of national health systems relies on reserves of health care supplies and their appropriate allocation.4 Effective distribution, training, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is key to preventing spread between patients and health care workers.4 In the setting of COVID-19, PPE that was once taken for granted as a disposable commodity quickly became a treasured resource to maintain the personal health and safety of health care workers.4 Patients who contract COVID-19 experience a wide spectrum of symptom severity that requires care ranging from at-home symptom management to inpatient intensive care.6 The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a need to increase hospital intensive care capacity rapidly in order to be able to provide adequate care for the patients presenting with this disease.2 Although SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is primarily transmitted via droplets, aerosolgenerating procedures can cause the virus to remain in the air for up to 3 hours and be infective through simple inhalation.7,8 Aerosol-generating procedures performed on patients positive for COVID-19 present an elevated infection risk for health care workers.5,8 Most studies suggest that aerosol-generating procedures include preintubation ventilation, intubation, tracheostomy, open-airway suctioning, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and noninvasive ventilation.8 Flow Accuracy of IV Smart Pumps Outside of Patient Rooms During COVID-19