Dividing the Emergency Department into Red, Yellow, and Green Zones to Control COVID-19 Infection; a Letter to Editor
Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine,
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2020),
1 Dey 2020
,
Page e60
https://doi.org/10.22037/aaem.v8i1.771
Abstract
COVID-19, in certain respects, can be viewed as a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear) event due to being a consequence of SARS-CoV2 virus (the “contaminantâ€). We, thus, reorganized our emergency department (ED) into 3 distinct zones (red, yellow, and green) for the purpose of infection control. Patients with high or medium risk of COVID-19 infection are managed in the red zones. Low-risk patients are managed in the yellow zones. All patients are prohibited to enter the green zones. Green zones are used by healthcare providers (HCPs) for personal protective equipment (PPE) donning, inventory, planning, and dining. Only HCPs who work in the red zones are required to use full level PPE (aerosol precaution). HCPs working in the yellow zones require less PPE (contact and droplet precaution). No PPE is required in the green zones. Establishing red, yellow, and green zones in the ED can be helpful in reducing cross-infections and minimizing demand for PPE.
- Coronavirus Infections
- Emergency Service
- Hospital
- Emergency Medical Services
- Health Facilities
- Infection Control
How to Cite
References
Ramesh AC, Kumar S. Triage, monitoring, and treatment of mass casualty events involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences. 2010;2(3):239-47.
Brown J, Pope C. PPE and possible routes of airborne spread during the COVIDâ€19 pandemic. Anaesthesia. 2020.
Verbeek JH, Rajamaki B, Ijaz S, Sauni R, Toomey E, Blackwood B, et al. Personal protective equipment for preventing highly infectious diseases due to exposure to contaminated body fluids in healthcare staff. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020(4):CD011621.
- Abstract Viewed: 602 times
- PDF Downloaded: 314 times
