Open AccessProvision of emergency hyperbaric oxygen treatment for a patient during the COVID-19 pandemic
Author(s) -
ML Lim,
Soo J. Kim,
Meng Kwan Tan,
Kim Lim,
Hooi Geok See
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
diving and hyperbaric medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.389
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 2209-1491
pISSN - 1833-3516
DOI - 10.28920/dhm51.1.78-81
Subject(s) - medicine , covid-19 , hyperbaric oxygen , intensive care medicine , endotracheal tube , medical emergency , intubation , pandemic , carbon monoxide poisoning , teamwork , emergency medicine , anesthesia , poison control , disease , pathology , political science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law
The experience of managing a critically ill severe carbon monoxide poisoning patient suspected of possibly also suffering COVID-19 and requiring emergency hyperbaric oxygen treatment is described. Strategies used to minimise infection risk, modifications to practice and lessons learnt are described. All aerosol generating procedures such as endotracheal tube manipulation and suctioning should be undertaken in a negative pressure room. In the absence of in-chamber aerosol generating procedures, an intubated patient presents less risk than that of a non-intubated, symptomatically coughing patient. Strict infection control practices, contact precautions, hospital workflows and teamwork are required for the successful HBOT administration to an intubated COVID-19 suspect patient.