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Infectious Diseases

Sourcing Personal Protective Equipment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Educational Objective
To Understand the need for PPE and summary of commenter suggestions for sourcing.

1 Credit CME

JAMA

Published Online: March 28, 2020

Editorial

Article Information and Disclosures

Edward Livingston, MD¹;

Angel Desai, MD, MPH¹;

Michael Berkwits, MD, MSCE¹

Author Affiliations

¹Dr Livingston and Dr Berkwits are Deputy Editors and Dr Desai is Fishbein Fellow, JAMA

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As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic accelerates, global health care systems have become overwhelmed with potentially infectious patients seeking testing and care. Preventing spread of infection to and from health care workers (HCWs) and patients relies on effective use of personal protective equipment (PPE)—gloves, face masks, air-purifying respirators, goggles, face shields, respirators, and gowns. A critical shortage of all of these is projected to develop or has already developed in areas of high demand. PPE, formerly ubiquitous and disposable in the hospital environment, is now a scarce and precious commodity in many locations when it is needed most to care for highly infectious patients. An increase in PPE supply in response to this new demand will require a large increase in PPE manufacturing, a process that will take time many health care systems do not have, given the rapid increase in ill COVID-19 patients.

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Article Information

Corresponding Author: Edward Livingston, MD, JAMA (edward.livingston@jamanetwork.org).

Published Online: March 28, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5317

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

References

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AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
1.00 CME points in the American Board of Surgery’s (ABS) Continuing Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.