Smart secretion management to protect nurses from COVID19 and other infectious diseases

Background: COVID-19 has been linked to over 40 million infections and 1.1 million deaths in 210 countries as of October 19, 2020. This highly contagious communicable disease has put not only infected individuals but other patients and frontline workers like nurses at risk in hospitals, especially in Intensive Care units (ICUs). There is a need for minimizing patient contact, improving hand hygiene practices, and optimizing healthcare provider time, especially nurses. Globally it is estimated that nearly a million health care providers have been infected with COVID-19 as of the end of October 2020.

Methods: This retrospective service evaluation documents the experience of health care providers in a COVID-19 ICU in India that was used to implement new protocols for secretion management and oral hygiene. Patient chart information and staff feedback were utilized.

Intervention: This pilot study captures the practical benefits of using VAPCare, an automated, closed-loop system for oral secretion removal.

Results: Six patients were included in this small-scale study; three patients following the current standard of care for suctioning and oral hygiene and three receiving the new VAPCare and Lumen device protocol. With the new device protocol, the number of infected secretion interactions by a nurse was 50% lower, and nursing time spent on oral hygiene and secretion management 70% less than seen with the current standard of care. The number of disposable gloves used with VAPCare and Lumen was reduced by over 50%. All 10 nurses and six doctors gave positive feedback on device usage. The department recommended updating protocols to prioritize the use of the new secretion management system for patients with COVID19 and other highly contagious conditions.

Conclusion: The findings are an early indication that using VAPCare for patients could help protect infected patients, other ICU patients, and health care workers.