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Virus containment box for retinopathy of prematurity screening and laser
Sameera Nayak1, Y P Reddy1, Shashwat Behera1
1L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Kode Venkatadri Chowdary Campus, Vijayawada, Andhrapradesh, India.
Insights
Healthcare workers can safely screen and treat infants for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) using a cost-effective acrylic containment box. This method protects staff from aerosol transmission of COVID-19 during ROP examinations and laser treatments.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatal Care
- Infectious Disease Control
Background:
- Healthcare workers face COVID-19 aerosol transmission risks during neonatal retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening and treatment.
- Delaying ROP screening and laser treatment can lead to irreversible blindness in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a cost-effective method for containing aerosols during ROP screening and treatment in un-sedated neonates.
- To ensure the safety of healthcare personnel while maintaining essential neonatal eye care.
Main Methods:
- An acrylic transparent containment box was designed to fit over an infant.
- The box featured openings for healthcare worker access and oxygen tubing.
- Aerosol spray simulations were used to assess the protective efficacy of the box.
Main Results:
- The acrylic containment box was inexpensive and locally manufacturable.
- Examination of infants within the box was feasible.
- Simulations confirmed the box effectively protected healthcare personnel from aerosol contamination.
Conclusions:
- This containment method enhances healthcare worker confidence in performing ROP screening and laser treatment.
- The intervention helps prevent delays in care, thereby safeguarding infants from blindness.
Purpose:
Health care workers are susceptible to contracting infection with COVID-19 by aerosol transmission. This is a risk while examining and/or treating an un-sedated neonate in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening and treatment. But screening for neonates for ROP and treating with laser, when required, should not be delayed to avoid the blindness. We describe a cost-effective method of containing aerosols generated during such a procedure in an un-sedated baby.
Methods:
An acrylic transparent containment box was prepared to accommodate an average-sized infant. The box had four walls and a roof. The floor was open to place the container box over the baby. The walls have two types of openings, large ones to allow passage of hands to examine the baby, small ones to enable passage of oxygen tubing when required. A simulation was created to examine the impact of aerosol spray on examining healthcare personnel.
Results:
The cost of the acrylic box was negligible. It could be assembled locally with available acrylic sheets and craftsmen. It was not difficult to examine the baby inside the box, and the simulation demonstrated that it protected the health personnel from the aerosol contamination.
Conclusion:
The described method is likely to increase healthcare personnel's confidence not to delay or deny ROP screening and laser treatment and save the babies from blindness.
