The safety of the Trexler isolator as judged by some physical and biological criteria: a report of experimental work at two centres

Abstract

SUMMARYWe have assessed the effectiveness of flexible-film negative-pressure isolators by physical and biological means. We have found that they afford a high degree of containment and therefore also of safety to hospital staff. We offer some recommendations on the operation of these isolators to ensure the optimum degree of protection.

Use of ultraviolet-fluorescence-based simulation in evaluation of personal protective equipment worn for first assessment and care of a patient with suspected high-consequence infectious disease

“…In the UK during the EVD outbreak, Government expectation was that all acute care providers were to implement appropriate PPE systems for safe assessment of a febrile traveller returning from West Africa. The flexible film isolator (Trexler) system [2] in the high-level isolation unit (HLIU) of London's Royal Free Hospital (RFH) could provide safe care for up to two patients with confirmed viral haemorrhagic fever. With the possibility of exceeding the capacity of the HLIU, 'surge' centres were established in infectious disease (ID) units at RFH and at three other English hospitals e Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, Royal Liverpool Hospitals and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (STH).…”

Aeromedical Evacuation of Patients with Contagious Infections

“…Communication between patients and caregivers is limited by poor sound transmission through the envelope, noise generated by the air exchange Contraindications to transport in the Vickers ATI included acute respiratory failure or the presence of gas trapped within closed body cavities that may pressurize at high altitudes (e.g., pneumothorax, ileus, or bowel obstruction) [64,65].…”

Febrile illness in healthcare workers caring for Ebola virus disease patients in a high-resource setting

“…Care is delivered by staff wearing surgical scrubs through half suits built into the wall of the isolator itself. Early experimental pressure and virus viability studies support the clinical safety of the isolator over nearly four decades of use in the UK for management of viral haemorrhagic fevers [ 8 ].…”