Page 1 - Protocol for seeing Covid 19 Patients for Home Care and Hospice
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Protocol for Seeing Covid-19 Positive Patients:
Home Care and Hospice
Home care/hospice for recovering COVID-19 patients Resource:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/disposition-hospitalized-patients.html
Assumptions:
1. We may not have serial testing to confirm viral clearance for the foreseeable future.
2. We may not have complete hospital records at the time home care or hospice begins.
Protocol:
SURGICAL FACE MASK FOR THIS COHORT OF PATIENTS
1. Accept COVID (+) patients discharged from the hospital or nursing home to home care or home hospice care using CDC
guidelines for discontinuing Transmission Based Precautions:
a. At least 48 preferably 72 hours have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-
reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and,
b. At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
c. For these patients, clinicians must follow Droplet and Contact Precautions and should wear a surgical mask,
gown, gloves, face shield or goggles.
d. Follow donning and doffing of PPE (*) checklist and protocol.
e. An N95 respirator (*) is to be used for any aerosol generating procedure indefinitely.
The N95 respirator is covered with a surgical face mask during such procedures. The N95 can NOT be re-used after
aerosol treatments or high-risk procedures.
N95 FOR THIS COHORT OF PATIENTS
2. For the symptomatic but stable COVID-19 patients who are evaluated in the Emergency Room and or clinic, who have a
confirmed Covid-19 positive test, and are then treated and discharged to home: (Treat and Release):
a. Initial home care and hospice visits, clinicians will need to use High Level PPE with an N95 respirator plus a surgical
mask over the N95 respirator to prevent droplet contamination of the N95 respirator.