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Miller School Researchers Alert Otolaryngologists

About High COVID-19 Transmission Risk, How to Avoid Infection

A harsh reality has emerged Otolaryngology and vice colleagues looked at data from China. on their job, work area and degree of expo-
as COVID-19 has spread chairman of otolaryngology Three of the paper’s coauthors are for- sure risk, according to the paper.
around the globe. Several at University of Miami Miller mer clinical fellows at the Miller School, “PPE is the most obvious aspect of infec-
thousands of doctors, nurses School of Medicine. including Drs. Qi Yao, who works at an tion control,” the authors wrote.
and others caring for COVID- Regardless of whether oto- academic center in Wuhan; Di Zhang from In China, ENT healthcare workers had
19 patients are dying from the laryngologists practice in the the otolaryngology department of a hospi- the highest protection, or third level pro-
virus. To alert providers in hospital or community, the tal in Shenzhen; and Yilai Shu, from an tection, when doing invasive procedures
otolaryngology, one of the nature of the specialty puts academic otolaryngology department in in the hospital, such as tracheotomy. They
hardest hit medical special- them at high risk for COVID- Shanghai, China. used second-level protection measures for
ties, about the high risk of 19 infection. In fact, they Researchers studied 20 hospitalized more routine evaluations, treatments and
transmission and how to might not realize they’re COVID-19 patients from ENT depart- throat swabs. Second-level protection
avoid it, University of Miami Dr. Xuezhong Liu encountering a positive patient ments at four Chinese hospitals during the includes protective masks, face shields,
Miller School of Medicine because COVID-19 symptoms pandemic. They found ENTs performed protective clothing, gloves and more.
researchers studied data from China. mimic what they see routinely with other six tracheotomies. Six patients underwent It’s also important for ENT providers in
The results will be published in the jour- conditions. procedures to control nose bleeding and the community to realize that they can eas-
nal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck “Recent evidence suggests that more seven were treated for routine ENT com- ily catch the virus from people who have
Surgery and are also available on the than half of COVID-19 patients don’t have plaints, such as sore throat, nasal conges- no fever and common mild symptoms or
American Academy of Otolaryngology- a fever early in the course of the disease. tion, and loss of the ability to smell. no symptoms. Relatively routine symp-
Head and Surgery website. They might have mild or no symptoms but Despite coming into close contact and toms, like loss of taste and smell, are early
Otolaryngologists routinely come into can easily spread COVID-19. performing procedures on hospitalized warning signs of COVID-19 infection,
direct contact with patients who have Otolaryngologists and other specialists COVID-19 patients, none of the ENT according to Dr. Liu.
upper respiratory issues. who see patients for things such as a runny healthcare workers got the virus. All “We can avoid infection even in our at-
Otolaryngologists are also on the front- nose, loss of taste or smell, or a minor sore implemented appropriate protection risk specialty if we take the proper precau-
lines at hospitals during the pandemic, throat or cough, might not realize the strategies, whether in the hospital or out- tions,” Dr. Liu said.
performing such procedures as tra- patient before them has COVID-19,” Dr. patient setting. Other high-risk specialties include
cheotomies, during which they surgically Liu said. The message to otolaryngology emergency medicine, anesthesiology and
create a hole in the windpipe to help To alert otolaryngology colleagues about providers is to suspect COVID-19 in all ophthalmology, according to Dr. Liu.
patients breathe, according to Xuezhong the high risk of transmission from even patient encounters and to take necessary Miller School coauthors on the study are
Liu, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, Marian and mild and asymptomatic patients and what precautions with personal protective Eric Nisenbaum, M.D., M.Sc., otolaryngol-
Walter Hotchkiss Endowed Chair in to do to prevent transmission, Dr. Liu and equipment, including at the very least N95 ogy resident; Roy Casiano, M.D., FACS,
masks and face shields. Data from China professor and vice chair of otolaryngology
suggests providers who protect themselves and director of the Rhinology and
are far less likely to contract the virus, Endoscopic Skull Base Program; Donald
according to Dr. Liu. Topping Weed, M.D., professor and vice
Other protective strategies used in chair for academic affairs in otolaryngolo-
“ You can’t separate the clinical China include pre-appointment screening, gy; Zoukaa B. Sargi, M.D., M.P.H., associ-
triaging, restriction of non-urgent visits ate professor of clinical otolaryngology
and the fi nancial – not anymore.” and surgeries, and telemedicine. and neurosurgery; and Fred F. Telischi,
The findings emphasize the need for M.E.E., M.D., FACS, James R. Chandler
People who know Healthcare, know BDO. hospitals and outpatient clinics to provide Chair in Otolaryngology, chairman of oto-
the appropriate personal protective equip- laryngology and professor of neurological
ment (PPE) for healthcare workers, based surgery and biomedical engineering.

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12 May 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News