Association between personal protective equipment and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in emergency department healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Healthcare personnel working in the emergency department (ED) is at risk of acquiring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Cov-2). So far, it is unknown if the reported variety in infection rates among healthcare personnel is related to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) or other factors. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PPE use and SARS-CoV-2 infections among ED personnel in the Netherlands. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A nationwide survey, consisting of 42 questions about PPE-usage, ED layout - and workflow and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates of permanent ED staff, was sent to members of the Dutch Society of Emergency Physicians. Members were asked to fill out one survey on behalf of the ED of their hospital. The association between PPE use and the infection rate was investigated using univariable and multivariable regression analyses, adjusting for potential confounders. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was the incidence of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections among permanent ED staff between 1 March and 15 May 2020. RESULTS: Surveys were sent to 64 EDs of which 45 responded (70.3%). In total, 164 ED staff workers [5.1 (3.2-7.0)%] tested positive for COVID-19 during the study period compared to 0.087% of the general population. There was significant clustering of infected ED staff in some hospitals (range: 0-23 infection). In 13 hospitals, an FFP2 (filtering facepiece particles >94% aerosol filtration) mask or equivalent and eye protection was worn for all contacts with patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 during the whole study period. The unadjusted staff infection rate was higher in these hospitals [7.3 (3.4-11.1) vs. 4.0 (1.9-6.1)%, absolute difference + 3.3%]. Hospital staff testing policy was identified as a potential confounder of the relation between PPE use and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections (collinearity statistic 0.95). After adjusting for hospital testing policy, type of PPE was not associated with incidence of COVID 19 infections among ED staff (P = 0.40). CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study, the use of high-level PPE (FFP2 or equivalent and eye protection) by ED personnel during all contacts with patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 does not seem to be associated with a lower infection rate of ED staff compared to lower level PPE use. Attention should be paid to ED layout and social distancing to prevent cross-contamination of ED personnel.

A man with an infected finger: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Whitlow is an infection of a finger or around the fingernails, generally caused by bacterium. However, in rare cases, it may also be caused by the herpes simplex virus. As herpetic whitlow is not seen often, it may go under-recognised or be mistaken for a different kind of infection of the finger. Delayed recognition and/or treatment puts patients at risk of complications ranging from superinfection to herpetic encephalitis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 23-year-old Caucasian man with no medical history was referred by his primary care physician because of erythema and swelling of the little finger of his left hand. The primary care physician had already treated him with the oral antibiotic Augmentin® (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid) and incision of the finger, but this had not resolved his complaints. He had multiple vesicles on the finger, which led to the diagnosis of herpetic whitlow, which we confirmed by polymerase chain reaction testing. All cutaneous abnormalities disappeared after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Whitlow is rarely caused by the herpes simplex virus, but this disease requires a swift recognition and treatment to prevent complications. This case serves to emphasise that not all whitlow is caused by a bacterial infection, and that it is important to differentiate between herpetic and bacterial whitlow, as these diseases require a different treatment.

A brachialis muscle rupture diagnosed by ultrasound; case report.

Trauma to the elbow caused by lifting heavy objects frequently involves rupture of the tendon of the biceps brachii muscle. Less frequently a rupture of the brachialis muscle occurs. To our knowledge, only five cases involving traumatic rupture of the brachialis muscle were described in the past 20 years. We will briefly report these cases.To demonstrate and evaluate muscle injuries, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the most sensitive and specific method of choice. We report an isolated brachialis muscle rupture caused by resisted flexion and pronation of the lower arm. Physical examination combined with ultrasound evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of ruptured brachialis muscle. Treatment was non-operative with full restoration of function.