Jun 30, 2020 4 steps to revive your PFT lab during COVID-19
Many, if not most, Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) labs are almost at a standstill today. Justifiably, concerns about COVID-19 plethysmography transmission virus via respiratory droplets and contact transmission have either slowed down or shut down many testing centers.
While non-essential testing should be postponed according to the ATS, clinicians must grapple with performing PFT’s safely for patients for whom testing is deemed “essential for immediate treatment decisions.” Besides using personal protective equipment such as masks, eye protection, gloves and hand hygiene protocols, what else to you need to know in order to perform PFT’s safely today?
Here are 4 steps to safe PFT testing for approved patients, based on the latest ERS Group 9.1 COVID-19 guidelines*:
(Spoiler – the MiniBox+ meets them all easily!)
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- Use an approved, single-use .06 micron bacterial/ viral filter – for 99.999% protection from bacterial and viral cross infection for the clinician, the user, and the device interior during spirometry maneuvers.
- Disinfect the testing environment from potential droplet contamination – with complete wipe-down of all testing surfaces after each patient test. For a body box, this could take quite some time, if even realistic.
- Re-calibrate after disinfection.
- Ventilate the testing room for 15 minutes between tests.
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So how can you meet all these guidelines easily? With the MiniBox+.
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- Our disposable bacterial/ viral filter meets the above requirements.
- Disinfection is achieved easily by wiping down the exterior of the device, which should take about 5 minutes.
- Self-calibration is automatically performed by the system between patient tests.
- Mobility – with an optional cart, or by manually moving the 18-lb device from room to room, enables you to maximize patient flow with no added downtime. Just air-out each clinic room while testing the next patient in another room.
So… email or call Scott at (480)-225-8844 to schedule a demo or virtual demo.
*For a more complete summary of the ERS Guidelines, read our blog post from last month.