ADDITIONAL RISKS ARISING IN THE PROCESS OF PROVIDING MEDICAL AID TO PATIENTS WITH COVID-19

The aim: In order to assess the degree of transforming danger, for face masks, used in the providing respiratory support process to specialized department patients with varying degrees of the COVID-19 course severity, we conducted a series of bacteriological studies into an additional opportunistic bacteria reservoir. With the purpose of assessment of the face respiratory masks inner surface bacterial contamination intensity during their use to provide respiratory support to patients with COVID-19.

Materials and methods: A bacteriological study of the inner surface of 60 disposable individual face respiratory masks was carried out at different times of providing respiratory support to patients with COVID-19.

Results: It is shown that during use, the inner surface of the respiratory mask is colonized by staphylococci and gram-negative opportunistic bacteria. With increasing time of the mask using, the density of colonization of its inner surface increases.

Conclusions: In the process of long-term non-invasive lung ventilation and oxygen therapy for patients with COVID-19, the inner surface of face respiratory masks is colonized with opportunistic bacteria, which creates the risk of contamination by the latter of the pathologically changed lung parenchyma and the addition of secondary bacterial infection.