Publish date: 15 July 2022
The UK IPC cell published a review of AGPs on 9 June 2022. This new guidance has now replaced previous guidance. Several procedures considered AGP have been removed and condensed as listed below:
The following procedures are considered to be potentially infectious AGPs:
- awake* bronchoscopy (including awake tracheal intubation)
- awake* ear, nose, and throat (ENT) airway procedures that involve respiratory suctioning
- awake* upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy
- dental procedures (using high speed or high frequency devices, for example ultrasonic scalers/high speed drills)
- induction of sputum
- respiratory tract suctioning**open suctioning beyond the oro-pharynx is currently considered an AGP, that is oral/pharyngeal suctioning is not an AGP
- surgery or post-mortem procedures (e.g. high speed cutting / drilling) likely to produce aerosol from the respiratory tract (upper or lower) or sinuses.
Further detail of this guidance can be found in the following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).