Procedure Room Innovation During the COVID-19 Crisis: Protecting Healthcare Workers, While Learning from History

The great toll the COVID-19 pandemic had on healthcare workers highlights the need to improve the working environment in hospitals. This is especially true in procedure rooms such as operating and delivery rooms, which inherently require extended exposure to the virus, allow no social distancing, and generate aerosolized virus through the equipment. Therefore, strategies must be created to address these issues. Such a strategy includes calculating and implementing air exchanges per hour with the use of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems (HVAC). HVAC allows the exchange of air within the procedure room, reducing the amount of exposure to viruses, and resulting in safer working environments for healthcare workers.8,9 Though HVAC creates a safer working environment, there remains a need to create a more cost-effective, efficient system. However, it is imperative to continue improving this system because there will be more pandemics where such a system will save many lives.