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Quantification of aerosol generation during cataract surgery
Gelareh S Noureddin1, Alfonso Iovieno, Maryam Eslami
1From the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Purpose:
To determine whether phacoemulsification cataract surgery is an aerosol-generating medical procedure (AGMP) and, therefore, to help determine the personal protective equipment required by healthcare providers in the era of the COVID-19.
Setting:
The Surgery, Teaching and Research Wet Lab of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC.
Design:
Laboratory-based simulation.
Methods:
Phacoemulsification cataract surgery was performed on porcine eyes. At a fixed distance, a DRX Aerosol Monitor 8534 (DustTrak) was used to measure particulate matter (PM) mass fractions for each of 3 particle sizes, PM1, PM2.5, and PM4 (in microns), every 2 seconds during surgery and for 1 minute after. The main outcome measure was an increase in the mass fraction of aerosolized particles of various sizes.
Results:
There was no significant aerosolization of particles during cataract surgery for both the 2.4 and 2.75 mm wound sizes.
Conclusions:
Phacoemulsification cataract surgery was not found to be an AGMP. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, ophthalmologists can continue to use droplet precautions while performing this surgery.
