Preventing contaminated medical devices in the context of COVID-19

Preventing contaminated medical devices in the context of COVID-19 Recommendations siemens-healthineers.com/covid-19 SIEMENS Healthineers 27th March 2020 According to the WHO COVID-19 information center: Handling devices or parts of devices “People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person that could have come or were in through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are direct contact with patients spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the Recommendations: person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or • mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in To date, the recommendations of the existing risk droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or assessment apply. Generally used disinfectants have to exhales droplets.”1 be effective against the COVID-19 virus. Check list of disinfectants that meet EPA’s criteria for use against In this context, patients infected with COVID-19 which SARS-CoV-2 and its label for specific instructions for undergo exams in medical devices might transmit the inactivation and follow label instructions for product disease via contamination of the systems surfaces and use (for countries that do not follow EPA therefore disinfecting the systems after each patient is recommendation, local environmental protection recommended. agencies recommendation apply). • All parts of objects that could potentially come into contact with patients have to be disinfected. • All local hygiene instructions (hospital) must be followed. These should meet at least our recommendations. • Please follow the proper cleaning instructions provided in the operator’s manual. Caution: Please note that some cleaning agents can cause damage to system components and accessories, a specific list of recommendation for different modalities can be found in the Instruction for Use of the medical device. Do not pour cleaning fluid onto surfaces and do not spray fluids - always use a damp cloth for cleaning. Please contact your local Siemens Healthineers organization for further details. 1) See Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19), https://www.who.int/news- room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses, 26th March 2020 Siemens Healthineers Headquarters Siemens Healthcare GmbH Henkestr. 127 91052 Erlangen, Germany Phone: +49 9131 84-0 siemens-healthineers.com Published by Siemens Healthcare GmbH, 2020