University of Wisconsin Guidelines for Treatment of Facial Trauma While Minimizing the Risk of COVID-19 Transmission

WMJ. 2020 Sep;119(3):202-204.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many practices to completely change the interface between health care providers and patients. Patients presenting with facial trauma present a special risk for COVID-19 transmission, as contact with respiratory and ocular secretions is common, and so special precautions must be taken in managing them.

Methods: We created guidelines and a triage/management algorithm for patients presenting with facial trauma to decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Conclusions: In this paper, we present a set of guidelines and a triage algorithm we have successfully implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while managing facial trauma. We believe that these guidelines can help other providers restructure their practices during this pandemic.

Publication types

  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Emergency Service, Hospital / standards*
  • Facial Injuries / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Infection Control / standards*
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Telemedicine
  • Triage / standards*
  • Universities
  • Wisconsin / epidemiology