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Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an ABSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology
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Use of expert consensus to develop a shared list of procedures with potential for aerosol generation during the

Dana E Pepe1,2,3, Preeti Mehrotra1,2,3, Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha4,3

  • 1Division of Infection Control/Hospital Epidemiology, Silverman Institute for Health Care Quality and Safety, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology : ASHE
|March 24, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed confusion over aerosol-generating procedures. Expert consensus was developed by Massachusetts healthcare epidemiologists to address this critical knowledge gap for healthcare personnel safety.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic underscored a lack of consensus on defining aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs).
  • This ambiguity created uncertainty regarding potential risks to healthcare personnel.
  • Existing guidance was insufficient during the early stages of the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish expert consensus on the definition of aerosol-generating procedures.
  • To address a critical gap in healthcare guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To mitigate risks faced by healthcare personnel.

Main Methods:

  • Convening a group of Massachusetts healthcare epidemiologists.
  • Utilizing expert opinion to develop consensus.
  • Focusing on areas lacking broader established guidance.

Main Results:

  • Development of a consensus definition for aerosol-generating procedures.
  • Identification of key procedures with high aerosol generation potential.
  • Clarification of risks associated with specific medical interventions.

Conclusions:

  • Expert consensus provides a framework for defining aerosol-generating procedures.
  • Standardized definitions are crucial for healthcare worker safety during pandemics.
  • This consensus aids in risk assessment and infection control strategies.

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