As some states begin to allow surgeons to perform elective and outpatient surgeries, the supply chain remains a concern for many ASCs.
Here are five things to know about personal protective equipment and supplies based on a report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, released on April 18, and a report from the Society for Healthcare Organization Procurement Professionals.
1. The PPE need in the U.S. for a single 100-day COVID-19 wave is:
• Gloves: 3.4 billion
• Isolation gowns: 321 million
• Medical-grade masks: 179 million
• N95 or similar disposable respirators: 57 million
2. The largest price increase since the pandemic has been for isolation gowns, which grew 2,000 percent on average. The price for N95 masks is up 1,513 percent and reusable face shield price jumped 900 percent.
3. The cost for latex gloves jumped 267 percent and nitryl gloves costs are up 200 percent.
4. With the current COVID-19 pricing and CDC guidelines, the patient per day cost is around $2,558, which is up from $236 per day before the pandemic.
5. Testing patients and staff for COVID-19 will add cost and inefficiency to each case.