Personal protective equipment in the paediatric emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic: Estimating requirements based on staff numbers and patient presentations.

Objective: To estimate the personal protective equipment (PPE) required in a paediatric ED during the COVID-19 pandemic comparing the use per patient to use per patient zone, based on the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) guidelines in place at the time of the study.

Methods: A retrospective case note review of all patients and staff present in the ED of The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia in the 24 h period of Sunday 5 April 2020. The primary outcome of PPE estimates was generated from identifying the number of patient contacts and aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) performed per patient as well as the number of staff on shift.