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The Role of Bioengineering in Understanding and Preventing Skin and Tissue Damage in COVID-19 Patients and their Providers
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Zoom Webinar
Speaker:
Amit Gefen, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Berman Chair of Vascular Bioengineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Tel Aviv University, Israel
Abstract:
COVID-19 has brought the effects of pressure injuries (PIs, also known as pressure ulcers) and device-related pressure injuries (DRPIs) in particular, into sharp focus. With the highly increased use of medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of patients who require intensive care such as continuous positive airway pressure masks or ventilation and feeding tubing, and with the intense use of personal protective equipment (PPE) including face masks, respirators and goggles by healthcare professionals globally, the incidence of DRPIs has risen starkly. In my talk, I will explore the currently known etiology of PIs with focus on the potential risks associated with medical devices used by patients and also, PPE used by health professionals during the current pandemic. I will also describe the worrying links between the etiology of PIs and COVID-19. Lastly, I will discuss the relevant bioengineering research underway in my laboratory and the long-term research & development work needed for the prevention and management of DRPIs from the perspectives of clinicians, patients, bioengineers, industry and regulators.
