A Brief Guidance for Cardiologists for Resource Containment Measures to Mitigate Anticipated Shortages of N-95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators during COVID-19 Pandemic

摘要

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on healthcare systems across the world. It is important to rapidly identify and triage patients who have suspected COVID-19 infection and evolving acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Whether the patients are initially managed conservatively or transferred to cardiac cath lab for interventions, it is imperative to ensure availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), including N-95 filtering facepiece respirators (N-95 FFRs) for all cardiologists and intensivists who are managing such patients. This is because patients with ACS (who are often sick) may need emergency anesthetic intervention either by oxygen therapy, noninvasive ventilation (NIV), or emergent intubation, which all are aerosol generating procedures.