CANCER CENTERS COVID FREE

From COVID-19 to different strains of influenza, reusing devices from patient to patient risks exposure to these vulnerable patients as well as to your critical staff. Infection protection and prevention is critical at radiotherapy centers during a COVID-19 due to the weakened immunity of cancer patients and the need to deliver timely and uninterrupted radiotherapy treatments. Reusing immobilization devices can expose your immunocompromised patients to viruses.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO USE IMMOBILIZATION DEVICES SINGLE PATIENT / SINGLE USE

Everybody is now talking about DPI (Individual Protection Devices) – masks, gloves, gowns, shoe covers and so on – but it should be important to consider also the Medical Devices used by and for the patients. 

Infection protection and prevention is critical at radiotherapy centers due to the weakened immunity of cancer patients and the need to deliver timely and uninterrupted radiotherapy treatments.

Today, in the midst of global COVID19 pandemic, we inevitably have to deal with issues related to all disposable devices intended for single patient and single use in the medical/health care field. In this phase of prevention of all possible forms of infection, it is obvious the advantage of using devices that guarantee a greater protection against infections of all kinds.

Although in an estimated form due to the virus early reality, infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists claim that the virus durability at the contagious stage is not only in airborne form but also in static form on surfaces.

Therefore, on the one hand it is necessary to use DPI specific for health care workers over a long period of time, on the other hand it is to be expected the implementation of the use of products/equipment/devices to protect the patients against contaminants or infected agents to be found in the medical facilities. The disinfection of the surfaces and equipment the patients regularly come into contact with (such as machinery, medical beds, chairs, accessories and various medical equipment) is and will be even more essential in the daily patient/staff and patient/facility relationship management. It will be crucial to place greater focus to the risk of infection in everyday life.

Disposable medical devices intended for use on one patient are playing and will play a fundamental role to further limit the dangers of direct and cross infection.

“Encourage patients to continue their life-saving treatments, and comfort them and their families in this stressful time. Educate them on your department’s policy for their personal care if they become sick.”

*The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)

Pietro Sordina

President and CEO