Impact of Aerosol Box Use During Cardiopulmonary Arrest: A Multicenter Study

Aerosol Generating Medical Procedures (AGMP) are procedures that have the potential to create tiny particles suspended in the air. These particles can contain germs such as viruses. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience unusually high rates of critical illness that needs advanced airway management and intensive care unit admission. Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation, endotracheal Intubation (ETI) and chest compressions are sometimes required for critically ill COVID-19 patients, and may contribute to a high risk of infection amongst Health Care Workers (HCW). To lessen HCW risk during high-risk procedures, a device called an aerosol box has been developed to place over the head of the patient, shielding the provider's face from virus droplets suspended in the air.

The purpose of this research study is to better understand how particles disperse during AGMPs, more specifically during the provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The project team hopes what is learned from the project can help inform infection control measures. This could help make changes to the clinical environment and make it safer for HCW's. The investigators intend to explore how an aerosol box performs in reducing contamination of HCW's who perform critical airway interventions during resuscitation events.