A Joint Action in Times of Pandemic: The German <scp>BioImaging</scp> Recommendations for Operating Imaging Core Facilities During the <scp>SARS‐Cov</scp>‐2 Emergency

Dietzel, Steffen; Ferrando‐May, Elisa; Fried, Hans-Ulrich; Kukat, Christian; Naumann, Angela; Nitschke, Roland; Pasierbek, Paweł; Peychl, Jan; Rasse, Tobias M.; Schroth‐Diez, Britta; Stöckl, Martin; Terjung, Stefan; Thuenauer, Roland; Tulok, Silke; Weidtkamp‐Peters, Stefanie

doi:10.1002/cyto.a.24178

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The closure of operating rooms, clinics, and physician offices; the need to commit multiple inpatient units to treating COVID patients; and the “stay-at-home” mandates to the population in general substantially compromised the acquisition and thus submission of specimens for pathologic evaluation. Although the impact of COVID on biosafety in anatomic pathology has been reported, 1,2 as well as the response of an autopsy and mortuary service to the pandemic, 3 the effect of COVID on a subspecialty surgical pathology and cytopathology operation has not been examined. Herein, we report a single-institution experience in a region of the United States that was heavily impacted by COVID at the outset of the national pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis of the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Case Volumes in an Academic Subspecialty-Based Anatomic Pathology Practice

Sinard

2020

Academic Pathology

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The recent COVID pandemic has had a major effect on anatomic pathology specimen volumes across the country. The effect of this pandemic on a subspecialty academic practice is presented. We used a data-driven approach to monitor the changing workloads in a granular fashion and dynamically adjust the scheduling of faculty and histology staff accordingly to minimize the number of people present on-site. At the peak of the pandemic locally, the main hospital in our health system had 450 COVID-positive inpatients. The surgical pathology specimen volume dropped to 13% of the pre-pandemic levels, and this occurred about 2 weeks before the peak of the inpatient census; cytology specimens (the majority of which are outreach gynecological) dropped to approximately 5% of the pre-pandemic volume, 4 weeks before the peak inpatient census. All of the surgical subspecialty services showed a significant decrease in volume, with hematopathology being the least affected (dropped to 30% of the pre-pandemic level). The genitourinary surgical subspecialty service (predominantly prostate and bladder biopsies) was the most affected (dropped to 1% of the pre-pandemic level) but was fastest to return as clinical operations began to return to normal. The only specimen type which showed a significant increase in turnaround time during the pandemic was our gynecologic cytology specimens and that occurred as the specimen volume returned. This was due to stay-at-home directives for the cytotechnologists and the fact that some of them were retasked to participate in our SARS-CoV-2 testing.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis of the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Case Volumes in an Academic Subspecialty-Based Anatomic Pathology Practice

Sinard

2020

Academic Pathology

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“…The COVID‐19 pandemic has put cytometry shared resource lab (SRL) managers in the difficult situation of needing to ensure reliable performance of their instruments, while simultaneously mitigating the safety risk to staff and users (1). Many facilities around the globe have responded to this situation by continuing to provide access to instrumentation and ensuring quality data output, but often with strict limits on the number of lab occupants and the hours that staff members are able to physically be present in the lab (2). With these limitations on in‐person staff time, SRLs have had to rely more heavily on the end‐user to assist in the quality control (QC) process and on remote support staff to troubleshoot issues.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Solutions for Shared Resource Lab Remote Quality Control and Instrument Troubleshooting during a Pandemic

et al. 2020

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The COVID‐19 pandemic has dramatically affected shared resource lab (SRL) staff in‐person availability at institutions globally. This article discusses the challenges of ensuring reliable instrument performance and quality data output while facility staff and external service provider on‐site presence is severely limited. Solutions revolve around the adoption of remote monitoring and troubleshooting platforms, provision of self‐service troubleshooting resources specific to facility instruments and workflows, development of an assistance contact policy, and ensuring efficiency of limited in‐person staff time. These solutions employ software and hardware tools that are already in use or readily available in the SRL community, such as remote instrument access tools, video hosting and conferencing platforms, and ISAC shared resources. © 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry

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“… Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics and handling of contact lenses should be prohibited while working in the laboratory [1]. Door handles, microscope parts, and computers including other peripheral devices should not be touched with bare hands [13].…”

Section: Hygiene Protocols For Work Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“… Only one user per microscope per session should be allowed. Number of persons occupying work station to be reduced to maintain social distancing [13,15].  Wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) based on the result of infectious risk assessment in your facilities [2,16].…”

Section: Personnel Protection Guideli-nesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscopy and the COVID-19 Pandemic, What We Need to Know?-The Hygiene Protocols and Digitalization

Sreeshyla

Hegde

Premalatha

et al. 2021

JPRI

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The COVID-19 pandemic has reemphasized the significance of personal protection at all the levels, from public places to hospitals, to working spaces to residence and at individual levels. It is inevitable for personnel in a common working space to share items multiple times one after the other frequently. Laboratory is one such arena and is also of great concern as it is associated with handling pathogenic specimens, investigating and diagnosing pathologies. By nature, it can be of great concern due to the possibility of higher chances of cross contamination. This fact is made even more precarious by the current COVID 19 pandemic. Hence there is a great need for a set of guidelines, appropriate protocols, best hygiene practices and digitalization in reporting and teaching learning, to be followed in the laboratory to prevent cross contamination. Microscopy work area is part of laboratory where microscopes are placed and used by the professionals for pathological diagnosis or research. Though there are set guidelines to be followed for most aspects of the laboratory, the cleanliness and personal protective guidelines for microscopes are sparse. Use of a disposable or reusable plastic film for covering microscopes, selection of suitable disinfectant, use of proper cleaning and protective tools and safeguarding the sensitive parts of microscope are highly recommended.

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A Joint Action in Times of Pandemic: The German BioImaging Recommendations for Operating Imaging Core Facilities During the SARS‐Cov‐2 Emergency

Cited by 11 publications

References 9 publications

An Analysis of the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Case Volumes in an Academic Subspecialty-Based Anatomic Pathology Practice

An Analysis of the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Case Volumes in an Academic Subspecialty-Based Anatomic Pathology Practice

Solutions for Shared Resource Lab Remote Quality Control and Instrument Troubleshooting during a Pandemic

Microscopy and the COVID-19 Pandemic, What We Need to Know?-The Hygiene Protocols and Digitalization

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