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).