COVID-19: Hospital preparedness

  • All hospital dependant, please check with your hospital administration for existing protocols

Prehospital Care

  • ET-3 model
  • Treat Onsite

Screening/Triage

  • Divide the ED into different sections based on risk of having/transmitting COVID-19
    • Red/Dirty/Hot zone
    • Yellow/Intermediate/cool zone (optional)
    • Green/Clean/Cold zone
  • Set PPE levels for each section IPC for COVID
  • Control movement between sections by limiting ingress/egress routes.
  • Consider having all patients wear surgical masks and perform hand hygiene despite symptoms.

Screening

  • Preferably outside of the ER
  • Goal is to prevent them from being cohorted with non-COVID patients
  • Funnel into each of your zones
  • Screening Criteria - Any of the following positive, route to "red/dirty/hot/infected" side of the ED
    • Symptoms - fever, respiratory symptoms, Chest pain, GI symptoms, malaise, fatigue
    • Signs
      • toxic appearance, AMS
      • If performing vitals at screening - fever, hypoxia, tachypnea
  • All those without the above go to Yellow/Green

Triage/Risk Stratification

  • Mild illness
    • Well appearing
    • No hypoxia (SPO2 ≥94%)
    • No tachypnea (RR≥22)
  • Moderate/Severe illness

Protocols

  • Labs/Imaging
  • Intubation
  • CPR
  • Asthma
  • CV procedures
  • Disposition

Surge Capacity

  • Hospital Dependent

SARS-CoV2 Testing Strategies

Testing+Surveillance: COVID

Telehealth

Resource Allocation

  • Ventilators


Personnel

  • Return to work