Histopathology laboratory paperwork as a potential risk of COVID-19 transmission among laboratory personnel

Abstract

Background Healthcare workers have a higher risk of acquiring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The process of requesting pathological investigations is usually handled manually through paper-based forms. This study evaluated the potential for paper-based request forms to transmit severe acute respiratory virus coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) to laboratory staff in order to make recommendations for dealing with hospital paperwork in a post-COVID-19 world. Methods Paper-based forms were tracked from the time of test ordering until the release of the pathology report by calculating the time taken for the forms to reach the laboratory, and the exposure of each staff group to forms received from both high and moderate COVID-19 risk areas. Results Four hundred and thirty-two (83%) of 520 forms were received in the laboratory within 24 h. The remaining 88 (17%) forms took ≥24 h to be handled by laboratory personnel. The mean daily exposure time to the paperwork for various laboratory staff was as follows: receptionists, 2.7 min; technicians, 5.5 min; and pathologists, 54.6 min. Conclusion More than 80% of the forms were handled by laboratory personnel within 24 h, carrying a high potential risk for viral transmission. It is recommended that paper-based request forms should be replaced by electronic requests that could be printed in the laboratory if required. Another option would be to sterilize received paperwork to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel. More studies are needed to detect the stability of SARS-CoV-2 on different surfaces and determine the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission via paper.

Clinico-pathological assessment of surgically removed abdominal wall endometriomas following cesarean section

“…Medical files and pathology reports between January 2012 and November 2018 for female patients underwent surgical excision of abdominal wall endometriomas by a general surgeon or a gynecologist at Al-Azhar university hospital were reviewed and evaluated with regard to patient age, history of CS operation, main patient complaint, blood Hemoglobin level, clinical suspicion, mass size, surgical margin status, post operative complications and recurrence. We collected any missed clinical data from the hospital registry, surgeon in concern or from the pathology request which usually contains the demographic data [ 10 ].…”

The predictive value of nasolacrimal sac biopsy in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy

“…All the specimens were sent with the histopathology laboratory in combination with a pathology request. Request form usually contains the clinical and demographic data of the patient [ 10 ]. Biopsies derived from the posterior inferior wall of lacrimal sac were processed using fixation in 4% formalin neutral buffer, embedded paraffin, and cutting the specimens at 4–5 μm, then staining mainly with hematoxylin and eosin stain (H&E) and examined under light microscope by the pathologist.…”

Lessons learnt from emergency medicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of India and the United States

“…Currently tackling this pandemic, emergency physicians are at grave risk of acquiring COVID-19, especially from aerosolizing procedures such as intubation required by 3.2% of diseased patients [ [23] , [24] , [25] ]. Sampling and heavy paperwork at the ER department are potential sources of infection as well [ [26] , [27] , [28] ]. The main hindrance to halt the transmission of COVID-19 infection exclusively lies in a prompt and valid use of complete PPE covering head to toe inclusive of gowns, face masks, face shields, goggles, air-purifying respirators, and gloves [ 29 , 30 ].…”