Non-Negative Pressure Enclosures Used During the COVID-19 Pandemic May Increase Health Risk to Patients and Health Care Providers
Fontana, CA, August 24, 2020- According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the use of protective barrier enclosures without negative pressure increases health risks for HCP’s and patients. In May the FDA had issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for protective barrier enclosures without negative pressure and is now revoking these passive enclosures. The FDA is recommending that if using a protective barrier enclosure it should incorporate negative pressure because these enclosures are effective in decreasing HCP’s exposure to airborne particles.
A&R’s PITU (Patient Isolation Transportation Unit), which also received FDA EUA approval in May is a negative pressure isolation enclosure that meets the criteria for protecting patients and HCP’s. PITU not only has the ability to protect medical staff from contagious diseases, but allows them to work on the patient from outside of the enclosure. This medical device fits on a standard gurney and is spacious enough to allow the patient to sit up, eat and reduces claustrophobia. At the same time it can be used as a temporary housing enclosure and can even allow properly attired family members to visit a relative who has COVID-19. In addition, PITU can be kept in already available hospital rooms without having to transform those hospital rooms into negative pressure rooms.
PITU is being deployed at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, California for similar purposes in treating patients.
“Personnel who have had the opportunity to work with PITU are happy with the security and protection it has provided for them. They also find the gloves comfortable and effective to treat the patient and attend to their needs”, according to Dr. Mark Comunale, MD, inventor of PITU
About AR Tech
AR Tech is a subsidiary of A&R Tarpaulins Inc. which is the parent company of AR
Industries and provides products and services for medical companies, flight hardware and ground
support to various aerospace companies providing satellite launches, architectural products and
services for homes and businesses, and industrial products for the transportation industry. For
more information contact A&R at 909-829-4444 or visit http://www.artarpaulins.com.
About Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
For information about ARMC, visit www.arrowheadregional.org. Follow ARMC on Twitter at @ArrowheadRMC for important announcements and updates, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arrowheadregional.