A New Solution for Routine Endoscopic Aerosol-Generating Procedures

A New Solution for Routine Endoscopic Aerosol-Generating Procedures (AGPs) in the COVID-19 Pandemic:



Introduction:

There is urgent need to find a swift and cheap way to safely perform routine endoscopic procedures during the otolaryngological and anesthesiological practice. We want to share our experience of a novel device, inspired by the pediatric head box experience.

Materials and Methods:

Five otolaryngologists and four anesthesiologists were asked to visualize the glottic plane by using the device. A total of 15 attempts was allowed to reach the vocal folds within 60 seconds after entering the box. Student's t-test for unpaired samples was used to compare groups.

Results:

Transnasal laryngoscopy through our endobox could be successfully performed by all the physicians involved and the mean number of attempts before visualizing and passing the glottis for the first time was 2.8 (range 1–5) in the otolaryngologists’ group versus 3.2 (range 1–6) in the anesthesiologists’ group (P=0.583). Out of the 15 attempts, the group of otolaryngologists reached the glottis 10.2 times, on average, against 9.7 in the other group (P=0.692).

Conclusions:

Our endobox seems a practical and feasible strategy to control droplets diffusion during standard ear, nose, and throat and anesthesiological practice.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Chiara Bruno, MD, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, Firenze, Italy; E-mail: bruno.chiara91@gmail.com.

Received 30 July, 2020

Accepted 24 August, 2020

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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© 2020 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.