Abstract: The studies selected were HTAs, systematic reviews, meta- analyses, randomized controlled trials, and non- randomized controlled trials that evaluated the risk of disease transmission to health care workers exposed to aerosol-generating procedures. Procedures that showed a statistically significant increased risk of SARS transmission to health care workers, or were a statistically significant risk factor for SARS infection in health care workers, included tracheal intubation, non-invasive tracheotomy, and manual ventilation before intubation. As noted in the results, for a number of potentially aerosol-generating procedures (bronchoscopy,2 non-invasive positive pressure ventilation,3 manipulation of BiPAP mask,2 and insertion of nasogastric tube2), point estimates suggested an increased risk, but confidence intervals were wide and were not statistically significant. The estimated risk of transmission of infection through aerosol-generating procedures or of a certain procedure being a risk factor for infection transmission in the included studies could have been confounded by the medical characteristics of the patients, the level of infection control training, and compliance with the use of effective personal protection methods among health care workers. Our findings suggest that some procedures potentially capable of generating aerosols have been associated with increased risk of SARS transmission to health care workers or were a risk factor for transmission, with the most consistent association across multiple studies identified with tracheal intubation.
Keywords: aerosol-generating procedures, SARS transmission, SARS infection, tracheal intubation.
Title: Aerosol generation and risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections: A systematic review
Author: Ohoud zeid alotabi, Khalid ali sharahili, Abeer Abdulrahman Hamdi, Taghreed Omar muaddi
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
Vol. 11, Issue 2, April 2023 - June 2023
Page No: 49-51
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 12-May-2023
