VUMC encourages judicious use of personal protective equipment in light of novel coronavirus outbreak

Message from Tom Talbot, MD, MPH, Chief Hospital Epidemiologist for VUMC:

With the emerging 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, there are concerns if the outbreak amplifies shortages of key personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary not only to care for suspect and confirmed 2019-nCoV cases but also to use for daily care of patients on an array of isolation precautions for other reasons may occur.  VUMC currently has ample supplies of PPE and is working with suppliers to maximize PPE availability as the outbreak evolves.  However, we must be prepared in the event PPE supplies become limited due to manufacturer issues or shortages. 

Given the uncertainty of the outbreak and impact on PPE supplies, VUMC asks clinicians to be proactive in their daily PPE use to minimize any excessive use or waste.  This includes the following:

• For patients on isolation precautions (Contact, Droplet, or Airborne), limit the number of personnel who enter the room only to those medical necessary to care for the patient.  Specifically, rounding teams should not enter rooms en masse.  Nursing colleagues should bundle in-room activities so to reduce the number of room entries, if possible.
• N-95 respirators used for the care of patients on Airborne Precautions should be reused unless they become damp or soiled. Note, this differs from what we would do in caring for a suspect or confirmed 2019-nCoV patient.
• Isolation gowns, gloves and surgical masks should still be disposed after each use

For any questions regarding PPE or other 2019-nCoV issues, please refer to the Department of Infection Prevention website athttps://www.vumc.org/infectioncontrol/ or call Infection Prevention On-Call at 615-835-1205.