Methods to Reduce the Risk of Exposure to Airborne Pathogens in the Operating Room

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created many changes and difficulties in healthcare, and the anesthesia specialty is no exception. Both the increased need for personal protective equipment (PPE) and the potential for infection and contamination through respiratory droplets have been sources of much concern. Policies and protocols have been adapted worldwide to help neutralize infection risk and exposure. Transmission of the virus to healthcare workers has been a major concern, and the risk of infection is exceptionally high for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) because of their close contact with infected patients. CRNAs are in a unique position to help decrease exposure for themselves and other members of the healthcare team by taking extra precautions during airway manipulation. A great deal of focus has been placed on reducing risks during intubation, but reports describing methods of reducing contamination and exposure to respiratory droplets during emergence and extubation are scarce. The authors have reviewed techniques to reduce coughing, thereby decreasing the potential of virus exposure through contact with large respiratory droplets and aerosolized particles that may remain suspended in air.