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COVID‐19 in the Perioperative Setting: Applying a Hierarchy of Controls to Prevent Transmission
Author(s) -
Alvino Rebecca T.,
Caughell Carolyn M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1002/aorn.13301
Subject(s) - infection control , pandemic , covid-19 , transmission (telecommunications) , perioperative , medicine , intensive care medicine , hierarchy , health care , personal protective equipment , disease , medical emergency , coronavirus , perioperative nursing , risk assessment , virology , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty) , surgery , pathology , computer science , political science , law , telecommunications , computer security
ABSTRACT The evolution of SARS‐CoV‐2 from a zoonotic virus to a novel human pathogen resulted in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) global pandemic. Health care delivery and infection prevention and control recommendations continue to evolve to protect the safety of health care personnel, patients, and visitors while researchers and policymakers learn more about SARS‐CoV‐2 and COVID‐19. The perioperative setting is unique in that it exposes clinicians and personnel to increased risks through the invasive nature of surgical care. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Hierarchy of Controls as a model, this article presents risk mitigation strategies for preventing the transmission of COVID‐19 in the perioperative environment. The goals are to identify and eliminate potential exposure to SARS‐CoV‐2 when surgery is necessary for patients who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID‐19 or who have an unknown infection status.