A Prospective Clinical Evaluation of a Patient Isolation Hood During the COVID-19 Pandemic

McGain, Forbes; Bates, Samantha; Lee, Jung Hoon; Timms, Patrick; Kainer, Marion A.; French, Craig; Monty, Jason

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers have frequently become infected with SARS-CoV-2 whilst treating patients with COVID-19. A variety of novel devices have been proposed to reduce COVID-19 cross contamination. OBJECTIVE: (i) To test whether patients and Healthcare workers (HCWs) thought that a novel patient isolation hood was safe and comfortable, and (ii) to obtain hospital HCW COVID-19 infections. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 20 patients, entailing HCWSS/patient questionnaires, and safety aspects of prototype isolation hoods. Prospective collection of HCW COVID-19 data. Assessment of the hood’s safety and practicality, and adverse event reporting. OUTCOME MEASURES: Questionnaires’ responses, adverse events reporting, rates of HCW infections during study period (20/6/2020 - 21/7/2020). HCW COVID-19 infections reported until last recorded HCW COVID-19 diagnosis (20/6/2020 - 27/9/2020). RESULTS: Of the 60/64 eligible individual HCW surveys, all 60 surveys were overall favourable (>75% questions answered in favour of the isolation hood). HCWs were unanimous in: perceiving the hood as safe (60/60), preferring its use (56/56), and understanding its potential COVID-19 cross-contamination minimisation (60/60). All eight patients who completed the questionnaire thought the isolation hood helped prevent COVID-19 cross-infection, was safe, and comfortable. There were no reported patient safety adverse events. The COVID-19 attack rate from 20/6/2020-27/9/2020 among registered nurses was: ICUs 2.2% (3/138), Geriatric wards 13.2% (26/197), and COVID-19 Wards 18.3% (32/175). The COVID-19 attack rate among medical staff was: junior staff 2.1% (24/932), senior staff 0.7% (4/607), aged care/rehabilitation 6.7% (2/30), and ICU all medical staff 8.6% (3/35). CONCLUSIONS: The isolation hood was preferred to standard care by HCWs, and well tolerated by patients, and post-study became part of standard ICU therapy. There was an association between being an ICU nurse and a low COVID-19 infection rate (no causality implied). ICU HCWs feel safer when treating patients with COVID-19 using an isolation hood.