COVID-19 epidemic determined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the emergency situation in the field of public health care having the international value assumed a pandemic scale that WHO was announced on March 10, 2020. Fundamental measures of prevention and reduction of risk of infection as in a health care field, so in society, widely extend mass media. According to the available data, COVID-19 virus is transmitted between people at close contact in the airborne way therefore are most subject to risk of infection of the person, being in close contact and engaged in treatment and care of patients with COVID-19.
The echocardiography is a basic research in many clinical cases, but the impossibility to support the minimum safe distance between the doctor and the patient does it by one of the most risky inspections for health workers. Considering importance of providing medical care in a difficult epidemic situation, a number of the organizations prepared the recommendations underlining importance of correct carrying out an echocardiography during COVID-19 pandemic.
Necessary individual protection equipment can include waterproof gloves (two couples), waterproof footwear (waterproof boots), protection of eyes and faces (the screen or points), protective clothes (a dressing gown / suit and an apron; a headdress), a respirator (steady against influence of liquids when carrying with points or a visor).
It is recommended to use stationary ultrasonic devices which move whenever possible as little as possible between rooms, to allocate special devices for the infected healthcare institution areas and also to train medical personnel correctly to dress, and in particular, to withdraw the individual protection equipment (IPE).
At putting on of SIZ it is necessary:
To take off all jewelry and personal belongings;
To wash up hands with soap and water or spirit solution;
To check integrity of SIZ; not to use the damaged SIZ;
To put on the first pair of gloves;
To put on a disposable dressing gown over a uniform;
To put on a suitable respirator;
To put on goggles;
To put on the second pair of gloves.
Ultrasonography of heart (echocardiography) in the conditions of COVID-19 pandemic
At removal of SIZ it is necessary:
To avoid any contact between potentially polluted individual protection equipment and a face, mucous membranes, skin;
Disposable SIZ have to be utilized in the corresponding container in an undressing zone;
To carry out disinfecting of reusable SIZ;
To take off a disposable dressing gown and to utilize it in the corresponding container;
To take off the first pair of gloves and to utilize in a container;
To take off glasses and to disinfect them;
To remove a respirator, having undertaken it behind and to utilize it in a container;
To take off the second pair of gloves;
To process hands spirit solution or to wash up soap and water.
Some these literatures specify that coronaviruses, including the SARS and MERS viruses, can remain on surfaces under optimal conditions of humidity and temperature up to 9 days. The role of the infected surfaces in intrahospital transfer of the infections caused by above-mentioned viruses is allowed, though is not proved. At the same time there are data that above-mentioned viruses are effectively inactivated by the corresponding procedures of disinfecting with use of usual disinfectants, such as sodium hypochlorite (0.1% of-0.5%), ethanol (62–71%) or hydrogen peroxide (0.5%), on condition of certain time of influence.
There are no data allowing to assume higher survival in the environment or lower susceptibility to above-mentioned disinfectants of the SARS 2-CoV activator now. Therefore, according to the offer of WHO, "careful clarification of surfaces water and detergent with the subsequent use of antiseptic agents, usual for hospital", is the effective and sufficient procedure. Routine disinfecting of the device ultrasonography can be carried out by the tampons impregnated 70% with spirit solution which can be used in a hospital.
Transthoracic probes are used a set of times and are exposed to pollution by pathogenic microorganisms, biological liquids, including blood from microinjuries of mucous membranes. Therefore, their processing has to be effective against all infections, and procedures of clarification and disinfection have to meet difficult and contradictory conditions, such as efficiency, safety of substances for the patient and personnel and also usability. For processing of probes it is IMPOSSIBLE to use immersion in sodium hypochlorite, autoclaving or dry heat. Such alternative methods as gamma or ultra-violet radiation, ethylene oxide and alcohol are also inexpedient.