Abstract
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of transmission of
SARS-CoV-2 has not been precisely known in bronchoscopy procedures. We
have designed a cabinet device called Ankara University Bronchoscopy
Cabinet (Aubrocab®) to protect healthcare. In this study, we aimed to
evaluate preventing effect of Aubrocab® on aerosol spreading by
measuring the number of particles in the bronchoscopy suite. Methods:
The patients were categorized into two groups as those who underwent
bronchoscopy with and without Aubrocab®. We measured PM0.5 level just
before and after the bronchoscopy procedure in the bronchoscopy suite.
Results: A total of 82 patients, 62 of whom underwent bronchoscopy with
Aubrocab®, were enrolled the study. The PM 0.5 level measured before
bronchoscopy were similar in both groups, whereas the PM0.5 level
measured just after bronchoscopy was significantly lower in the
Aubrocab® group (42,603±8,632 vs 50,377±10,487, p=0.001). The analyses
showed that the percent particle change (50.76 ± 19.91% vs 67.15 ±
24.24%, p=0.003) and the difference of the particle numbers between pre
and post-procedure (13,638±4,292 and 19,501±5,891, p<0.001)
were significantly lower in the Aubrocab® group. Conclusion: Our
institution developed a barrier device named Aubrocab® which was shown
to prevent excessive aerosol release in addition to routine precautions
during bronchoscopy procedures.