Hello Caroline

Sorry cannot help you with this as I have not seen anything like this.

kind regards

Lenora

Good morning Rafaela & Alison

We simplified it and kept all inpatients same criteria but we look for 14 days (with 5 fever free) & 2 negatives 24 hours apart before discontinuing isolation.

If patient going home we do same as you Alison, no re-swabbing.

I’ve enclosed a SNIP from our COVID-19 policy.

Kind regards

Lenora

Dear all,

Regards the duration of transmission based precautions, are you discontinuing precautions after 14 days of onset of symptoms/5 days fever free or keeping the patient in isolation during the length of stay? It’s my understanding that some hospitals are keeping recovered COVID patients in precautions during the whole admission, reducing…[Read more]

Agree Siobhan

This is what we are advising.

Stay safe everyone.

Kind regards

Lenora

Chair IPCIreland

On behalf of Siobhan Prout:
Siobhan Prout replied 20 hours, 53 minutes ago

Hi Lenora,
would it be a suitable suggestion at this time to have the masks that are used for clinical care to continue to be disposed of as healthcare risk waste and those that are worn outside the activity of patient care to be discarded in the closest waste bin as i…[Read more]

Hello Rafaela

I understand that is happening in James Hospital (3 masks) and then other hospitals are supplying 4 masks per staff per day.  In our hospital we are advising standard surgical masks for all staff in contact with patient and all staff in contact with staff <2 metres and > 15 minutes, leave mask maximum time 3 hours or change when go…[Read more]

Sent on behalf of Brenda:

Thanks LenoraWe are doing the same as yourselvesIt was one of the surgeons who brought up the idea of the contaminated PPE in OT and was wondering should they changeBrendaBrenda O’Sullivan-ConnollyInfection Prevention and Control CNSBon Secours HospitalCollege RoadCork T12DV56Tel:021 4801619 

Hello Brenda

The anaesthetic team wear the full PPE including FFP2 masks on intubation and leave it on for the duration of surgery to allow for protection on extubation.  We are extubating patients in theatre to reduce risk for the PACU staff.

Only the anesthetist and the anaesthetic nurse is present during intubation and extubation to further…[Read more]

Thank you Ann for the enclosed.

It is indeed multifactorial.  There is more much literature to read and opinions to listen to, it can be overwhelming.

Kind regards

Lenora

Chair IPCIreland

REMINDER: ACUTE WEBINAR AT 12NOON
Invitation to COVID-19 IPC webinar

Topic: IPC  Interim  Guidance for COVID-19 Management in Acute hospitals

Presented by HPSC AMRIC Team
Prof.  Martin Cormican , National HCAI Clinical Lead  and Mary McKenna,  IPCN,

Date and time : Friday, April 3, 2020 from  12 -1pm,

Event number: 144 014 082
Event passwor…[Read more]

From Alison:

LenoraWe’re having the same problems however this has been led by one Consultant.I understand that during the ISCM conference call with the AMRIC team last week Martin specifically discussed the use of masks for all patients. This was disagreed with emphatically as unnecessary.The attached was issued as a response to several…[Read more]

From Noeleen:

Hi Lenora,I’m sticking to the HPSC guidance on the wearing of PPE  but its a hard sell in all areas.Keep the cool we can only follow the guidance. Helen Murphy sent out info from Prof Cormican yesterday its an ongoing challenge…Keep safe,Kind Regards

Noeleen Hallahan
Infection Prevention  & Control CNM2
PHN Department
Louth C…[Read more]