Preparedness of a catheterization laboratory for the corona virus (COVID–19) outbreak

Our first goal was to prepare the cath–lab infrastructure to deal with an infected scenario. We first organized a meeting with the center’s engineer and infectious control experts in order to plan and decide about the steps needed to approach this endeavor. We decided that only the cath–lab room itself will be potentially contaminated and the rest of the unit will remain clean and sterile. For airborne precautions, we had to alter the cath–lab ventilation system to work as a “negative pressure room” i.e. the exhaust flow rate should be greater than the air supplied with all doors and openings closed, and air should be exhausted outside the building via a chimney above the roof, so that it is unlikely to re–enter the building or its ventilation system.