On March 30, 2020 Battelle announced they had received an emergency go-ahead from the FDA to deploy its decontamination system for personal protective equipment (PPE), allowing healthcare workers to clean and reuse scarce N95 respirator masks. They system is capable of processing up to 80,000 masks per machine, per day, within what looks like a large metal shipping container. What …
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) procured sixty decontamination devices from Battelle Labs, an Ohio based company, for various states across the nation. Michigan received a Battelle device on April 24 which includes four decontamination units housed at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan. The decontamination system is approved to process N95 respirators only. Battelle’s device can decontaminate thousands of …
August 17, 2020 CMS.gov On August 17, 2020 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will resume routine inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid certified providers and suppliers to improve the safety and quality of life of patients and residents. CMS had previously suspended certain routine inspections as part of its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 …
As we continue our journey through the COVID-19 Pandemic, it appears that we have hit another hurdle in our efforts to avoid the spread of the virus in our centers. The American Health Care Association/ National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) released a report in Provider magazine on 8-11-2020 that states “skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) experiencing an ‘alarming spike’ in …
The CDC recently compiled data from seven state or local health departments that conducted facility-wide testing in nursing homes. A total of 288 nursing homes conducted initial facility-wide testing during March 24-June 14 with turnaround times ranged from 1-7 days from testing until receipt of results. The study results were posted on August 14, 2020 and the discussion below summarizes …
Over the last month, many states have seen a surge of Coronavirus cases, particularly in states that have loosened social distancing requirements. Data shows that younger people make up a growing percentage of new Coronavirus cases in cities and states, and much recent media coverage has focused on the resurgence of the pandemic being driven by cases among younger adults. …
Lessons learned from previous epidemics include the importance of protecting health care workers from exposure and factors associated with shortfalls in the prevention of hospital-associated infections. In response to these shortfalls, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have outlined risk assessment and management post-exposure which includes categorization of risk level for infection. That …
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced they will be publishing their findings regarding the SARS-CoV-2 virus and how the virus may be spread. There is currently substantial controversy about the role played by SARS-CoV-2 however, in one recent study, air samples were collected in the room of two COVID-19 patients, one who had an active respiratory infection and a nasopharyngeal …
Respirators must be used in workplaces where employees may be exposed to hazardous airborne contaminants. When respiratory protection is required employers must have a respirator protection program as specified in OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134). Before wearing a respirator, workers must first be medically evaluated using the mandatory medical questionnaire or an equivalent method. Medical Evaluation and Questionnaire …
Sepsis is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality among nursing home residents. A study published in JAMDA used a sample of 31 nursing homes with characteristics similar to nursing homes nationally. The study identified several issues around documentation of active surveillance and medical oversight that may have hindered early detection of sepsis. Particularly noteworthy was the absence of documentation …
