Protecting against SARS during equipment maintenance

The recent outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) raises questions about the appropriate infection control measures to use when conducting maintenance procedures on medical devices that may have been exposed to the SARS virus--that is, devices that have been used on, or located in the same room as, a patient with (or suspected to have) SARS. Although there is considerable information and guidance available on many aspects of SARS, very little exists on this particular topic. What's more, we have found significant differences in the perspectives and recommendations of some of the experts on the subject. This article provides guidance for clinical engineering, respiratory therapy, and other personnel involved in maintaining potentially SARS-exposed equipment. To derive our recommendations, we reviewed the material posted on the Web sites of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other information sources; we also discussed issues related to equipment use and servicing with experts outside ECRI.