Otolaryngology: Open Access

Abstracto

‘POLIDON’ Approach- a Novel Solution for the ENT and Skull Base Surgeons in COVID-19 Era

Mostafa Kamal Arefin, Muhammad Shaharior Arafat, SkNurul Fattah Rumi, Nazmul Islam Munna, Abu Yusuf Fakir, Kamrul Hassan Tarafder, Ashraful Islam, Khorshed Alam Mozumder, AF Mohiuddin Khan

Health care providers ( HCP) of ENT and Skull base surgery are highly vulnerable and mostly infected with novel coronavirus ; as they have to examine and perform procedures directly in oral cavity, oropharynx, nose, nasopharynx, where novel coronavirus remains in plenty. ENT & Skull base surgeons need to do lots of aerosol generating procedures (AGP). Most of the endoscopic and microscopic ENT & skull base surgery, are AGP; like- mastoid surgery, sinus surgery, surgery of pituitary gland. We thought about neutralizing or destroying the novel coronavirus from its route of entry zone. All of we know, COVID negative by RT- PCR test is not always COVID negative. For this, in COVID-19 pandemic routine, even cancer surgeries are discouraged, avoided or postponed for the sake of safety of HCPs. Moreover, in case of surgical emergency there’s no way to refuse a patient for not having a report of COVID test. We designed and proposed a novel approach, i.e. ‘POLIDON’ (POLIDON= Polythene + Povidone Iodine), which can be the ultimate hope or solution for these unfortunate patients as well as surgeons or HCPs of above mentioned specialties. Firstly, Use of Povidone Iodine as mouthwash and nasal spray or irrigation for both patient and HCPs prior to surgery is proposed here. Then, use of simple polythene as barrier drape of patient or operative area for prevention of spread of aerosol in OT during surgery. Thus all these procedures can be done with more safety and confidence.