Communication Chaos from Discrepancies in Personal Protective Equipment and Preoperative Guidelines

Area of Science:

• Healthcare policy and public health
• Infectious disease management
• Surgical specialties

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid development of guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly respirator use.
• Variability in PPE recommendations among healthcare institutions can lead to confusion and compromise worker safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines, specifically respirator use, among international public health agencies, academic hospitals, and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) departments in the United States for the care of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey involving a review of publicly available guidelines from public health agencies and academic hospitals.
• Analysis of communications within otolaryngology departments regarding PPE use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Results:

• Only 17.5% of 114 academic institutions provided public PPE guidance; 64% offered screening/testing information.
• N95 respirator use was agreed upon for high-risk patients and procedures, but definitions and recommendations for low-risk scenarios varied significantly.
• In three highlighted institutions, OHNS departments recommended higher levels of airway protection than the overall institutional guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) departments frequently implemented more stringent PPE guidance than their parent institutions.
• Frequent discrepancies in PPE communication provide inconsistent information, underscoring the need for standardized, evidence-based guidelines to ensure healthcare worker protection during pandemics.