scholarly journals Adherence to Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Healthcare Personnel: A Louisiana Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ayushi Aggarwal ◽  
Oliver A. Darwish ◽  
Mehran Karvar ◽  
Chenhao Ma ◽  
Mengfan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
Cdc Guidelines ◽  
June July

Abstract Objective: To determine the extent that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), per CDC guidance, was used during the COVID-19 pandemic by health care personnel (HCP) in Louisiana in five clinical settings. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to the LA Nursery registry. Appropriate use of PPE in each of the five clinical scenarios was defined by the authors based on CDC guidelines. The scenarios ranged from communal hospital space to carrying out Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGP). 1760 HCP participated between June-July 2020. Results: The average adherence in LA was lowest for carrying out AGPs scenario at 39.5% compliance and highest for patient contact when COVID-19 not suspected scenario at 82.8% compliance. Adherence among parishes varied widely. Commentary to suggest a shortage of PPE supply and the practice of re-using PPE was strong. Conclusions: Use of appropriate PPE varied by setting. It was higher in scenarios where only face masks (or respirators) were the standard (i.e., community hospital or when COVID-19 not suspected) and lower in scenarios where additional PPE (e.g., gloves, eye protection, and isolation gown) were required. Policy implications: As HCP are at the forefront of efforts to contain the coronavirus, the factors underlying variable adherence to CDC protocols in LA need to be further analyzed and addressed.

scholarly journals Disposal of Personal Protective Equipment during the COVID-19 Pandemic Is a Challenge for Waste Collection Companies and Society: A Case Study in Poland

Resources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Nowakowski ◽  
Sandra Kuśnierz ◽  
Patrycja Sosna ◽  
Jakub Mauer ◽  
Dawid Maj
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
The Social

One of the social measures applied during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)—face masks and gloves. As a result, this waste category has expanded enormously. This study investigates waste management issues from multiple perspectives, including local governments, waste collection companies, and individual citizens in Poland using a telephone survey for institutions and an online questionnaire for individuals. The results of this study show that approximately 80% of local governments in the Silesian region have applied special measures for handling and collection of waste PPE. Only 13% of waste collection companies have applied special collection schedules for the waste generated at quarantine collection points due to the high costs of changing collection schedules, providing additional vehicles, and paying for more labor. The information campaigns focusing on new methods of PPE waste collection have been difficult to introduce on a large scale, and citizens need better information regarding how to handle and dispose of waste PPE. Results indicated the most helpful method in supporting waste PPE collection would be automatic PPE dispensers with waste PPE collection options and waste bags of a designated color. The respondents identified waste PPE pollution of the environment as an issue and the necessity for proper recovery of this waste stream.

scholarly journals Adherence to Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Healthcare Personnel in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Oliver A. Darwish ◽  
Ayushi Aggarwal ◽  
Mehran Karvar ◽  
Chenhao Ma ◽  
Valentin Haug ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cdc Guidelines ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers

Abstract Objectives: Protecting frontline healthcare workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical during the COVID pandemic. Through an online survey, we demonstrated variable adherence to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) PPE guidelines among health care personnel (HCP). Methods: CDC guidelines for optimal and acceptable PPE usage in common situations faced by frontline healthcare workers were referenced to create a short online survey. The survey was distributed to national, statewide, and local professional organizations across the United States and to HCP using a snowball sampling technique. Responses were collected between June 15 and July 17, 2020. Results: 2245 responses were received from doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, and medical technicians in 44 states. Eight states with n>20 (Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington) and a total of 436 responses are included in the quantitative analysis. Adherence to CDC guidelines was observed to be highest in the scenario of patient contact when COVID was not suspected (86.47%) and lowest when carrying out aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) (42.47%). Conclusions: Further research is urgently needed to identify the reasons underlying variability between professions and regions to pinpoint strategies for maximizing adherence and improving the safety of HCPs.

scholarly journals COVID-19 global pandemic planning: Dry heat incubation and ambient temperature fail to consistently inactivate SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators

2020 ◽  
pp. 153537022097781
Author(s):  
Douglas J Perkins ◽  
Robert A Nofchissey ◽  
Chunyan Ye ◽  
Nathan Donart ◽  
Alison Kell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Dry Heat ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Individual Site ◽  
Pandemic Planning ◽  
N95 Respirators

The ongoing pandemic of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has placed a substantial strain on the supply of personal protective equipment, particularly the availability of N95 respirators for frontline healthcare personnel. These shortages have led to the creation of protocols to disinfect and reuse potentially contaminated personal protective equipment. A simple and inexpensive decontamination procedure that does not rely on the use of consumable supplies is dry heat incubation. Although reprocessing with this method has been shown to maintain the integrity of N95 respirators after multiple decontamination procedures, information on the ability of dry heat incubation to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 is largely unreported. Here, we show that dry heat incubation does not consistently inactivate SARS-CoV-2-contaminated N95 respirators, and that variation in experimental conditions can dramatically affect viability of the virus. Furthermore, we show that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on N95 respirators that remain at room temperature for at least five days. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that dry heat incubation procedures and ambient temperature for five days are not viable methods for inactivating SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators for potential reuse. We recommend that decontamination procedures being considered for the reuse of N95 respirators be validated at each individual site and that validation of the process must be thoroughly conducted using a defined protocol.

Management of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in England and the state of New York: A comparative case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 71-89
Author(s):  
Amy Barber, BSc ◽  
Annaëlle Vinzent, BS ◽  
Imani Williams, BA
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
New York State ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Protective Equipment

Background: The COVID-19 crisis placed extraordinary demands on the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the beginning of 2020. These were coupled with shocks to the supply chain resulting from the disease. Many typically well-resourced health systems faced subsequent shortages of equipment and had to implement new strategies to manage their stocks. Stockpiles of protective equipment were held in both the United States and United Kingdom intended to prevent shortages. Method: Cross-comparative case study approach by applying Pettigrew and Whipp’s framework for change management. Setting: The health systems of England and New York state from January 2020 to the end of April 2020. Results: Both cases reacted slowly to their outbreaks and faced problems with supplying enough PPE to their health systems. Their stockpiles were not enough to prevent shortages, with many distribution problems resulting from inadequate governance mechanisms. No sustainable responses to supply disruptions were implemented during the study period in either case. Health systems planned interventions along each part of the supply chain from production and importing, to usage guidelines. Conclusion: Global supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions caused by international crises, and existing mitigation strategies have not been wholly successful. The existence of stockpiles is insufficient to preventing shortages of necessary equipment in clinical settings. Both the governance and quality of stockpiles, as well as distribution channels are important for preventing shortages. At the time of writing, it is not possible to judge the strength of strategies adopted in these cases.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dental practice in Iran: a questionnaire-based report

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanie Ahmadi ◽  
Alireza Ebrahimi ◽  
Farhad Ghorbani
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Dental Health ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Dental Services ◽  
Emergency Procedures ◽  
Dental Procedures ◽  
Dental Practitioners ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The highly contagious nature of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), besides the fact that dental procedures commonly generate blood and saliva droplets that could lead to the contagion have resulted in the closure of many dental clinics. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental practice by conducting an online questionnaire among the Iranian dental practitioners and finding their perspectives on the subject. Methods This report is based on a questionnaire that was conducted among Iranian dentists. The survey included questions that evaluate the dentists’ perceptions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on their personal life, financial status, and the quality of dental services for patients. Results Overall, 240 dentists contributed to this study (214 general dentists and 26 specialists). The majority of the participants (n = 170, 70%) did not perform non-emergency procedures during the pandemic. The dental practitioners have suggested several strategies to decrease the risk of contagion, such as reducing treatment sessions (n = 90, 37%), strict triage of patients (n = 156, 64%), and using personal protective equipment (n = 108, 45%). However, most of the dentists (n = 210, 87%) had problems, providing personal protective equipment during the pandemic. Moreover, 97% (n = 234) of the participants reported that they encountered a decrease in their financial income since the eruption of the pandemic. Conclusion Dental health care workers are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19. Thus, dental practitioners ought to execute the standard protocols more cautiously during the pandemic. They could also lower their work hours and limit dental procedures to emergency treatments to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Besides, the public organizations should provide proper equipment for the dental practitioners to decrease the risk of contagion.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemisinde Enfeksiyon Kontrol Çalışmaları Çerçevesinde Çocuk Hastalarla Çalışan Sağlık Personeli Eğitimi

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-200
Author(s):  
Pembe Derin Oygar ◽  
Ayşe Büyükçam ◽  
Zümrüt Şahbudak Bal ◽  
Nazan Dalgıç ◽  
Şefika Elmas Bozdemir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Risk ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Applied Education

Objective: In the early stages of any epidemic caused by new emerging pathogens healthcare personnel is subject to a great risk. Pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, proved to be no exception. Many healthcare workers died in the early stages of pandemic due to inadequate precautions and insufficient protection. It is essential to protect and maintain the safety of healthcare personnel for the confinement of pandemic as well as continuity of qualified healthcare services which is already under strain. Educating healthcare personnel on appropiate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is as essential as procuring them. Material and Methods: A survey is conducted on 4927 healthcare personnel working solely with pediatric patients from 32 different centers. Education given on PPE usage were questioned and analyzed depending on age, sex, occupation and region. Results: Among four thousand nine hundred twelve healthcare personnel from 32 different centers 91% (n= 4457) received education on PPE usage. Of those who received education only 36% was given both theoretical and applied education. Although there was no differences among different occupation groups, receiving education depended on regions. Conclusion: It is essential to educate healthcare personnel appropiately nationwidely for the continuity of qualified healthcare services during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Are Healthcare Personnel Trained in Correct Use of Personal Protective Equipment?

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrita John ◽  
Myreen Tomas ◽  
Jennifer Cadnum ◽  
Thriveen S.C. Mana ◽  
Annette Jencson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Protective Equipment
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