Q：First of all, please tell us about the current issues in the medical field (upper gastrointestinal endoscopy) during the corona crisis.

A：With the spread of infection, medical professionals are always involved in medical care with "anxiety" and "danger" of infection risk. If the patient throats or coughs during the examination, Cases of vomiting are unavoidable, and the risk of infection is extremely high during endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Under such circumstances, the Gastroenterology Society and the Endoscopy Society have issued statements to postpone or cancel excessive examinations, but as a matter of fact, some examinations are necessary, so it is not possible to stop all examinations.

Q： Given the concerns and dangers of hospital-acquired infections, what kind of "infection control measures" does Kataoka Clinic take?

A：I think other hospitals do this, but we are doing temperature checks and alcohol disinfection at the entrance.In addition, patients may be asked to wait in their cars or outside the hospital so that the hospital is not crowded and crowded. Our staff members always wear protective clothing, surgical masks, and face shields, and patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy wear a “MaScope.”

Q：Next, I would like to ask about the reason why "MaScope" was adopted since the beginning of its release.

A：Inspections must be done with as much safety as possible. From the perspective of maintaining and continuing the medical system, I cannot allow myself or the testing staff to become infected. In addition, of course, we believe that we must provide medical care to patients after taking as many infection control measures as possible. “MaScope” can block droplets at the mouth and reduce diffusion, and it feels good to use, so I adopted it without hesitation.

Q： At other facilities, I have heard that there are hospitals that perform endoscopic examinations with a surgical mask making a hole through which an endoscope can pass, or with only the nose exposed. Compared to general surgical masks, it is inferior in terms of cost, please let us know how you feel about this.

A： Endoscopy is performed in the same room by the patient and the operator. I myself, of course, have to avoid the infection of the staff. It is true that the price is a little high, but because it is a mask specially devised for endoscopy examination, it has good workability, so I receiving it.

Q：What about the operability of the endoscope for patients who actually wear　"MaScope"?
*At Kataoka Clinic, transnasal endoscopy is performed.

A： We can operate the endoscope without any problems.

Q："MaScope" is a mask that considers the patient who wears it. Please let us know if there are any impressions of patients who have actually used the test.

A：Many patients had no discomfort at all. There was a sense of security somewhere like a normal mask. It's good not to drool. Somehow it hides the nose and mouth, so it's not embarrassing. There are many evaluations such as, and I think that most patients feel a sense of security. In addition, our hospital staff have also commented, "We can help patients who are coughing and clearing their throats during examinations without worrying about droplets," and "It is good that droplet contamination of the examination table and surrounding equipment is minimized.".

Q：Do you plan to continue using "MaScope" in the future?

A：At our hospital, we believe that this product is an essential infection control product for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, so we will continue to use it.