6 Tips to Administer Emergency CPR Care to Coronavirus Patients

​With the world currently in a state of shock and stillness, brought on by a newly discovered virus which caused a pandemic, everyone is slowly coping in their own ways and getting better. Everybody and every organization in the world are helping together to fight the virus and contain it. The lives of the coronavirus patients are sure to get easier and better as time flies by, especially because with what all the help they are receiving around the world.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently announced guidelines for CPR and other emergency cardiovascular care for patients with suspected or known coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to help reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. In a statement, Comila Sasson, MD, PhD, vice president for emergency cardiovascular care science and innovation at the association, said “Health care providers need to focus on helping people during this challenging time and the American Heart Association is doing everything it can to make it easier,”.

Furthermore, it was said that the information they were providing is drawn primarily from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. It includes information about caring for patients and guidelines for emergency medical services and other frontliners.

​The AHA advised to adhere to standard and transmission-based precautions when caring for patients with suspected or established COVID-19. And so, the following will be a list of specific guidelines and precautions outlined (note that these are for the medical professionals who have knowledge of the procedures and have access to proper equipment):

1. Aerosol-generating procedures should be performed in isolation rooms and personnel should use proper equipment

​Aerosol-generating procedures are procedures such as CPR and endotracheal intubation, that expose providers or administrators to a greater deal of risk of transmission of the disease and so it is advised to perform it in airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) and the personnel should use proper personal protective equipment (PPEs).

2. Only the people essential for patient care and procedural support should be present

​Only the providers or administrators of the procedure should be present during the procedure and the room to be used should be cleaned and disinfected before and after the procedure.

3. Patients with suspected or known COVID-19 should be cared for in a single-person room

​The patients should be in a single-person room with the door closed and with sufficient care given. Also, the AIIRs should be reserved for the patients who will undergo the aerosol-generating procedures.

4. For protection, wear the best there is available

5. Rapid Sequence Intubation

If intubation is required, consider the usage of rapid sequence intubation instead with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

6. Patients with acute respiratory failure, consider proceeding directly to endotracheal intubation.

Alongside with this, avoid the use of high-flow nasal oxygenation and mask CPAP or bilevel CPAP due to a greater risk of generation of aerosol.

Hopefully, these six tips can do a great deal of help to any medical professional aiming to administer care activities and other procedures to patients suspected or known to have COVID-19.

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