COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Assessments

This repository of ECRI Clinical Evidence Assessments that deliver expert, objective evidence analysis, insights, and advice to support the value analysis process during this COVID-19 pandemic. Our team of doctoral-level research analysts (PhD and MD) delivers comprehensive and reliable evidence for balancing three critical priorities: outcomes, quality, and cost. If we can assist your organization in the battle against COVID-19, whether or not you are a current member, please contact us today at clientservices@ecri.org.

Clinical Evidence Assessments

• UPDATED | Infrared Temperature Screening to Identify Potentially Infected Staff or Visitors Presenting to Healthcare Facilities during Infectious Disease Outbreaks: ECRI’s evidence review indicates Infrared Temperature screening is ineffective for detecting infected persons. Using this approach to reduce infection risk from visitors and staff could provide a false sense of safety.
• UPDATED | Safety of Extended Use and Reuse of N95 Respirators: Practical guidance on the potential risks and benefits that clinical centers should consider during decision making about N95 respirator reuse or extended use.
• Considerations for Safe Labor, Delivery, and Neonatal Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidance on ways to protect staff, measures to limit transmission, recommendations for COVID-19 testing for pregnant women and for infants born to infected mothers, and optimal maternal care and breastfeeding recommendations.
• Optimal Timing for Performing Tracheotomy in Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure: This report assesses the clinical evidence available to guide decisions to perform tracheotomy in intubated, critically ill patients with acute respiratory disease.
• Screening and Treatment for Post-intensive Care Syndrome after Discharge of Patients with COVID-19: In the COVID-19 pandemic, patients who require substantially long periods of mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) stay are at high risk of developing Post-intensive Care Syndrome (PICS).
• Evidence-based Strategies for Weaning Patients with COVID-19 from Mechanical Ventilation: ECRI’s evidence review focuses on interventions to supplement standard weaning practices to reduce ventilator time and avoid repeat intubation in patients with COVID-19.
• Factors Informing Clinical Decisions about Ventilator Use during Ventilator Shortages in an Infectious Disease Pandemic: ECRI’s evidence review examines the effectiveness of triage systems for identifying disease severity and mortality risk to inform decisions on scarce resource allocation during pandemics.
• Cloth Face Coverings Worn by Public to Reduce Transmission of Viral Respiratory Infection: ECRI’s evidence review focuses on the general public’s use of cloth face coverings for reducing the transmission risk of viral respiratory infection, including any reusable, washable garments, such as hand-sewn masks, scarves, bandanas, and commercially available biking and pollution masks.
• Intermittent Positive Airway Pressure Devices as a Substitute for Mechanical Ventilators during Ventilator Shortages: ECRI’s evidence review focuses on the safety and effectiveness of off-label use of intermittent BiPAP and CPAP machines as temporary ventilator support for critically ill patients during ventilator shortages.
• Single Ventilator Use to Support Multiple Patients: Mechanical ventilators are intended to support one patient at a time; however, healthcare providers have reported using a single device to support two or four patients during supply shortages driven by disease outbreaks or mass-casualty events.
• Alternatives to Triclosan-based Products for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Facilities: Alternatives to triclosan-based products for hand hygiene due to a 2017 FDA ruling that triclosan in over-the-counter antiseptics used by healthcare workers is not safe and effective.
• Antimicrobial Copper Oxide–infused Textiles for Reducing Healthcare-associated Infection Risk: Alternative infection control practices related to cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces to kill potentially harmful microbes on contact.
• Antimicrobial Copper Surfaces for Reducing Healthcare-associated Infection Risk: Antimicrobial copper surfaces may provide sustained antimicrobial effects independent of human activity and pose minimal toxicity risks, but cost more than standard surfaces.
• Countertop Ultraviolet Systems for Disinfecting Mobile Devices: Using countertop UV systems to disinfect mobile devices used in healthcare facilities that can contribute to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in patients.
• Hand Hygiene Compliance Monitoring Systems for Reducing Healthcare-associated Infections: Effectiveness of these systems to automatically monitor hand hygiene (HH) compliance rates and their impact on patient outcomes.
• Infection Risk from Scrubs Worn Outside Patient Care Settings: Assessing whether wearing scrubs outside patient care settings and returning to the care setting increases the risk of transmitting infections.
• Lytbot Pulsed Xenon UV System (Solaris) for Environmental Disinfection: Safety and efficacy of an ultraviolet (UV) radiation disinfection system that uses 254 nm ultraviolet-C (UVC) light delivered in a “high frequency bulb flash rate” in three-minute cycles for environmental disinfection.
• MaxAir CAPR System (Syntech International) for Preventing Infectious Agent Transmission: Loose-fit, powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) intended to be worn to prevent transmission of infectious agents to patients or medical staff.
• SafeHaven Personal Hand Hygiene Monitoring System (Georgia-Pacific LLC) for Reducing Healthcare-associated Infections: Reducing healthcare-associated infections with a wearable device containing replaceable cartridges of an antiseptic handrub to enable the healthcare worker to dispense and use disinfective handrub at the point of care wherever they are.
• SilvaClean Antimicrobial Laundry Additive Platform (Applied Silver, Inc.) for Reducing Healthcare-associated Infections: “Smart” technology platform's effectiveness as an antimicrobial treatment that remains in fabrics after laundering to protect them from acquiring infectious organisms during handling and use.
• Ultraviolet Light Air Purification Systems for Reducing Infections: This assessment has shown that while ultraviolet-C (UVC) light effectively kills a wide range of viral and bacterial pathogens in experimental environments, there is no evidence to support these systems prevent or reduce healthcare-associated infections.

Return to the ECRI COVID-19 Resource Center

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