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COVID-19 PFT Guidance

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During this time of uncertainty, we want to assure you that we will remain open to assist your PFT lab. Your equipment and supply needs can be met by either calling our office at 720-640-4222 (North and South America) or +44 (0)1992 526300 (Rest of World) and by email at [email protected] or [email protected].

You can reach us for service by contacting [email protected]. In order to limit the spread of disease, we are offering to reschedule any non-essential equipment service later this year unless you otherwise feel it is essential now. Moreover, we will continue to support emergency repairs in our usual manner should your system go down and cannot be brought back up remotely.

We appreciate the COVID-19 outbreak has created a challenging environment for your PFT labs. To that end, our Medical Advisory Board offers the following guidance for your consideration while testing patients:

  1. We recommend limiting PFTs to those patients where it is deemed most essential. That is when a diagnosis or treatment or intervention is needed right away.
  2. We recommend limiting PFTs to just the components that are necessary. The following procedural suggestions are suggested when conducting PFTs on patients during this period:
  3. All patients should be prescreened with questions (per your institution’s protocol) regarding COVID-19 symptoms/exposure before being brought into the PFT lab. If a patient is deemed potentially positive through the prescreen, a PFT should not be conducted, and the technician should refer to their institution’s protocol for handling an infected patient.
    • If the PFT continues, we recommend the the patient wear a surgical mask (to help minimize aerosolization as PFT induces cough in many patients) both before and immediately after PFT.
    • Allow 30 minutes between PFTs for the room air to exchange before bringing in a new patient.
    • Between PFTs and while room air is exhanging, wipe down the PFT equipment and all surfaces with disinfectant.
    • PFT technicians should wear N-95 masks and other personal protective equipment per your institution’s protocols.
  1. Cancel or reschedule all non-essential PFTs to a later date.

The above guideline is offered for your consideration and implementation only in accordance with your institution’s protocols. Any guideline at this stage of the pandemic should be considered fluid and subject to revision. We sincerely hope you find this information useful as together we seek to serve patients better. We will provide updates as new information may evolve.

We wish you all well and hope that you stay healthy and safe!

Post by

Shaela Dickinson