Environmental maintenance with effective and useful zoning to protect patients and medical staff from COVID-19 infection.

Aim: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated all over the world, and global health-care systems have become overwhelmed with potentially infectious patients seeking testing and care. It is essential to set up effective and useful zoning to prevent the spread of infection to and from medical staff or other patients with effective use of standard precautions with personal protective equipment (PPE).

Methods: We repurposed a general ward into an acute care unit for severe COVID-19 patients taking into consideration airflow, the direction of movement of medical staff, and prevention of the spread of infection to medical staff and other patients.

Abnormal ranges of vital signs in children in Japanese prehospital settings.

Aim: The revised Fire Service Law obliges each prefectural government in Japan to establish a prehospital acuity scale. The Foundation for Ambulance Service Development (FASD) created an acuity scale for use as a reference. Our preliminary survey revealed that 32 of 47 prefectures directly applied the FASD scale for children.