Simulation of Aerosol Dispersion During Medical Examinations

Abstract

The main route of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) virus is airborne. The objective of this study is to analyze the aerosol dispersion and potential exposure to medical staff within a typical medical examination room during classical airway procedures. The multiphase simulation of the aerosol particles in the airflow is based on a Lagrangian-Eulerian approach. All simulation cases with surgical mask show partially but significantly reduced maximum dispersion distances of the aerosol particles compared to the cases without a surgical mask. The simulations have shown that medical examiners are exposed to a large amount of aerosol particles, especially during procedures such as laryngoscopy where the examiner's head is directly in front of the patient's face. However, exposure can be drastically reduced if the patient wears a mask which is possible for most of the procedures studied, such as otoscopy, sonography, or anamnesis.