Rapid Emergency Department Physical Space Modifications for COVID-19: Keeping Patients and Health Care Workers Safe

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant strain on emergency departments (EDs) that were not designed to care for many patients who may be highly contagious. This report outlines how a busy urban ED was adapted to prepare for COVID-19 via 3 primary interventions: (1) creating an open-air care space in the ambulance bay to cohort, triage, and rapidly test patients with suspected COVID-19, (2) quickly constructing temporary doors on all open treatment rooms, and (3) adapting and expanding the waiting room. This description serves as a model by which other EDs can repurpose their own care spaces to help ensure safety of their patients and health care workers.

Review of pediatric emergency care and the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The COVID‐19 pandemic caused EDs to face space redesign needs in order to optimize infection control. Along with general EDs, pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) made changes to the ED layout, such as installation of plastic barriers to care areas without rooms or doors, expansion of ED care areas to the triage area, outdoor tents, or the waiting room, and separating infectious and non‐infectious children into different care areas to promote safety of all patients in the ED 9–11 . In addition to these changes to the environment, many previously designated PED and pediatric units were converted to adult care areas.…”