Effect of N-95 Mask on Oxygen Saturation Level in Health Care Workers and Their Experience While Using N-95 Mask

Abstract Background N-95 masks are in high demand during this COVID-19 pandemic but wearing an N-95 mask is a real challenge to the health workers during their duty hours. The present study aims to measure the effect of the N-95 mask on oxygen saturation level in the blood and the discomforts experienced while using it. Materials and Methods Oxygen saturation was measured in 80 health care workers before and after wearing the N-95 mask continuously for more than 6 hours. The participants were asked to fill a questionnaire regarding various discomforts of N-95 mask usage, which consisted of 14 questions. Results The most common discomfort was pain around the pinna followed by difficulty in breathing and fogging of spectacles or goggles. In addition, 71% of them had decreased oxygen saturation by 1%. Conclusion N-95 mask can alter the oxygen saturation but it does not produce significant effects in healthy individuals. It can significantly affect patients with compromised airways.

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Health-Care Workers’ Perception of Reimbursement for Complex Surgical Oncology Procedures

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/000313482008600234 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 86 (2) ◽

pp. 140-145

Author(s):

Shoshana Levi ◽

Emily Alberto ◽

Dakota Urban ◽

Nicholas Petrelli ◽

Gregory Tiesi

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Surgical Oncology ◽

Patient Perceptions ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Physician Reimbursement ◽

Care Workers ◽

Before And After ◽

Fee Schedule

Perception of physician reimbursement for surgical procedures is not well studied. The few existing studies illustrate that patients believe compensation to be higher than in reality. These studies focus on patient perceptions and have not assessed health-care workers’ views. Our study examined health-care workers’ perception of reimbursement for complex surgical oncology procedures. An anonymous online survey was distributed to employees at our cancer center with descriptions and illustrations of three oncology procedures—hepatectomy, gastrectomy, and pancreaticoduodenectomy. Participants estimated the Medicare fee and gave their perceived value of each procedure. Participants recorded their perception of surgeon compensation overall, both before and after revealing the Medicare fee schedule. Most of the 113 participants were physicians (33.6%) and nurses (28.3%). When blinded to the Medicare fee schedules, most felt that reimbursements were too low for all procedures (60–64%) and that surgeons were overall undercompensated (57%). Value predictions for each procedure were discordant from actual Medicare fee schedules, with overestimates up to 374 per cent. After revealing the Medicare fee schedules, 55 per cent of respondents felt that surgeons were undercompensated. Even among health-care workers, a large discrepancy exists between perceived and actual reimbursement. Revealing actual reimbursements did not alter perception on overall surgeon compensation.

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NSI: A major occupational hazards among the health care workers in Nepal

International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health ◽

10.3126/ijosh.v3i1.9098 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 22-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jaita Mondal

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Body Fluid ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Health Workers ◽

Needle Stick Injury ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Care Workers ◽

B Virus

A percutaneous piercing wound as in needle stick injury is a typically set by a needle point, but possibly also by other sharp instruments or objects. These events are of concern because of the risk to transmit blood-borne diseases through the passage of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus which causes AIDS. The present study was done to determine the risk status regarding NSI among health care workers of Private Hospitals, Pokhara, Nepal. Samples were selected through purposive sampling. Self administered questionnaire & risk assessment tool were used to collect data. Study revealed that majority of health care workers were females (93%) with mean age of 22.66 years (±3.1). Sixty eight percent had got NSI, among them 41% had NSI more than 2times in life. Maximum NSI cases happened either by recapping of the needle (18%) or during disposal of sharps (16%) or while transferring a body fluid (blood) to a specimen bottle (15%). The study concludes that majority of health workers had NSI more than two times which denotes NSI is a major occupational hazard. Cases happened either by recapping of the needle or during disposal of sharps or while transferring a body fluid to a specimen bottle. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i1.9098 International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 3 No 1 (2013) 22-25

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Measuring the Quality of Rural-Based, Government Health Care Workers in Nepal

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice ◽

10.46743/1540-580x/2010.1281 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Stephen Knoble ◽

Anil Pandit ◽

Bibek Koirala ◽

Laxmi Ghimire

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Clinical Training ◽

Health Workers ◽

Clinical Skills ◽

Clinical Teacher ◽

Government Health ◽

Care Workers ◽

Key Skills ◽

Significant Difference

A representative, cross-sectional clinical skills assessment of 163 mid-level, rural-based, government health care workers was conducted in four districts of Nepal in June 2007. All Health Assistants and Auxiliary Healthcare Workers within the target districts were scored using checklists of standardized key skills in clinical encounters with model patients or clinical models. Participant scores were reported as a mean percentage in adult medicine 28(%), pediatric medicine 56(%), maternity medicine 35(%), orthopedic medicine 45(%), clinical procedures 59(%), and management 46(%). This was measured against the government’s 60(%) standard on clinical skills. There was little significant difference between categories of health workers by district of posting or years of experience. There was a minor difference in skills by level of facility - workers in higher level facilities scored better across the domains. Reasons for poor performance in clinical skills were attributed to a lack of clinical in-service training programs, training only focusing on prevention and public health, and poor on-sight supervision. Poor pre-service schooling factors included heavy theory concentration in pathophysiology and inadequate clinical exposure opportunities. Recommendations for the improvement of clinical skills and decision-making include the institution of in-service competency-based training with a high emphasis on real patient exposure. Pre-service recommendations include implementation of a national certification program and an expansion of the current government clinical training sites and clinical teacher development programs.

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Closing delivery gaps in the treatment of tuberculosis infection: Lessons from implementation research in Peru

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247411

Author(s):

Courtney M. Yuen ◽

Ana Karina Millones ◽

Daniela Puma ◽

Judith Jimenez ◽

Jerome T. Galea ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Implementation Research ◽

Health Workers ◽

Preventive Treatment ◽

Interferon Gamma Release Assay ◽

Household Contacts ◽

Care Cascade ◽

Care Workers ◽

Treatment Support

Background Targeted testing and treatment of TB infection to prevent disease is a pillar of TB elimination. Despite recent global commitments to greatly expand access to preventive treatment for TB infection, there remains a lack of research on how best to expand preventive treatment programs in settings with high TB burdens. Methods We conducted implementation research in Lima, Peru, around a multifaceted intervention to deliver TB preventive treatment to close contacts of all ages, health care workers, and people in congregate settings. Key interventions included use of the interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), specialist support for generalist physicians at primary-level health facilities, and treatment support by community health workers. We applied a convergent mixed methods approach to evaluate feasibility and acceptability based on a care cascade framework. Findings During April 2019-January 2020, we enrolled 1,002 household contacts, 148 non-household contacts, 107 residents and staff of congregate settings, and 357 health care workers. Cumulative completion of the TB preventive care cascade was 34% for contacts <5 years old, 28% for contacts 5–19 years old, 18% for contacts ≥20 years old, 0% for people in congregate settings, and 4% of health care workers. IGRA testing was acceptable to adults exposed to TB. Preventive treatment was acceptable to contacts, but less acceptable to physicians, who frequently had doubts about prescribing preventive treatment for adults. Community-based treatment support was both acceptable and feasible, and periodic home-visits or calls were identified as facilitators of adherence. Conclusions We attempted to close the gap in TB preventive treatment in Peru by expanding preventive services to adult contacts and other risk groups. While suboptimal, care cascade completion for adult contacts was consistent with what has been observed in high-income settings. The major losses in the care cascade occurred in completing evaluations and having doctors prescribe preventive treatment.

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Incidence of COVID-19 Infection in Hospital Workers From March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 Routinely Tested, Before and After Vaccination With BNT162B2

10.21203/rs.3.rs-803215/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Francesca Larese Filon ◽

Francesca Rui ◽

Federico Ronchese ◽

Paola Michieli ◽

Corrado Negro

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Hospital Workers ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Care Workers ◽

Before And After ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Incident Rate ◽

Rate Ratios ◽

Monthly Incidence

Abstract Objective To evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 infection in health care workers from the start of COVID-19 pandemic in NE of Italy, to the vaccination with BNT162b2. Materials and methods This was a retrospective cohort study. Health care workers were routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2 infections using real-time polymerase chain reaction tests in nasopharyngeal swabs. Logistic regression was used to calculate incident rate ratios (IRRs) of factors associated to COVID-19. Results A total of 4251 workers were followed-up and an annual incidence of COVID-19 of 13.6% was found. In March 2021 the incidence of infection was 4.88 and 103.55 cases for 100.000 person-days in vaccinated and non-vaccinated workers, respectively, with an adjusted IRRs of 0.05 (95% CI 0.02–0.08). Conclusions Our study evaluated the monthly incidence in health care workers in Trieste hospitals before and after the vaccination finding the protective effect of BNT162B2 vaccine in 95% of health care workers routinely tested.

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Prevalence and causes of unreported needle stick injuries among health care workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2021-0148 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Razieh Behzadmehr ◽

Abbas Balouchi ◽

Mehran Hesaraki ◽

Farshid Alazmani Noodeh ◽

Hosein Rafiemanesh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Needle Stick ◽

Care Workers ◽

Needle Stick Injuries

Abstract Objectives Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to needle needles daily. Despite individual studies, there is no statistics on the prevalence of unreported needle stick injuries (NSIs) have been reported. This study was performed to determine the prevalence and causes of unreported NSIs among HCWs. Content In present systematic review and meta-analysis study, three international databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed) were searched from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2018. The random model was used to determine the prevalence of unreported needle stick among HCWs. Summary and outlook Forty-one studies performed on 19,635 health care workers entered the final stage. Based-on random effect model, pooled prevalence of unreported needle stick injuries was 59.9% (95% CI: 52.0, 67.7; I2=98.9%). The most common cause of unreported NSIs was: They were not worried about NSIs (n=12). The high prevalence of unreported needle sticks injuries indicates the urgency and necessity of paying attention to strategies to improve reporting among health workers.

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Risking Lives to Save Others During COVID-19: A Focus on Public Health Care Workers in Bangladesh and Egypt

International Journal of Health Services ◽

10.1177/00207314211063748 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002073142110637

Author(s):

Shahjahan Bhuiyan

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Public Health Care ◽

Altruistic Behavior ◽

Ongoing Research ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Street Level ◽

Care Workers

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been spreading around the world, causing a major public health crisis that has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Street-level bureaucrats—health workers, teachers, street cleaners, police officers, and so forth—are at the forefront in fighting against the pandemic. Of these, public health care workers, due to the nature of their involvement, should know and understand why they are risking their lives to save others during this pandemic. Based on the preliminary data gleaned from interviews with public health care workers in Bangladesh and Egypt, this ongoing research suggests they are risking their lives for reasons such as altruistic behavior, service to profession, adherence to bureaucratic accountability, and a desire to help mankind. The findings contribute to the existing literature about street-level bureaucratic behavior in atypical times such as these of the pandemic. This study is unique in that it comprehends that public health care workers of two culturally and geographically distinct countries are risking their lives for the same public-spirited cause.

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Healthcare Workers’ Mobile Phones as a Possible Vehicle of Nosocomial Pathogens and the Role of Different Disinfectants in their Decontamination

10.51429/ejmm30304 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 29-36

Author(s):

Rana E. Elgabeery ◽

Radwa A. Eissa ◽

Sohair M. Soliman ◽

Naglaa F. Ghoname

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Colony Count ◽

Drug Resistant ◽

University Hospitals ◽

Care Workers ◽

Before And After

Background: As Mobile Phones (MPs) aren’t cleaned routinely and have been touched during patient’s examination, they may become contaminated with hospital pathogens. Objectives: Screen MPs of Health care workers (HCWs) for pathogens and verify the effect of disinfectants in their decontamination. Methods: A questionnaire was submitted by 160 HCWs in Tanta University Hospitals. Samples were taken from their MPs and subjected to pour plate counting before and after disinfection. Standard identification and antibiotic susceptibility of isolates were done. Results: Colony count was greater in MPs used while caring for patients or inside restroom, and was less in regularly cleaned MPs. All tested disinfectants reduced the colony count significantly. Pathogens were isolated from 84.38% of samples and 36.25% of them were Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs). Conclusion: Using MPs at critical care areas and restroom may contribute to their contamination with pathogens. Regular disinfection of MPs can reduce this contamination.

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Violence against health care workers in China, 2013–2016: evidence from the national judgment documents

Human Resources for Health ◽

10.1186/s12960-019-0440-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ruilie Cai ◽

Ji Tang ◽

Chenhui Deng ◽

Guofan Lv ◽

Xiaohe Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Health Workers ◽

National Level ◽

Care Providers ◽

Public Attention ◽

Online System ◽

Care Workers

Abstract Background Incidents of patient-initiated workplace violence against health care workers have been a subject of substantial public attention in China. Patient-initiated violence not only represents a risk of harm to health care providers but is also indicative of general tensions between doctors and patients which pose a challenge to improving health system access and quality. This study aims to provide a systematic, national-level characterization of serious workplace violence against health care workers in China. Methods This study extracted data from the China Judgment Online System, a comprehensive database of judgment documents. Three key phrases, “criminal case,” “health care institution,” and “health care worker” were used to search the China Judgment Online System for relevant cases between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2016. Data extracted from identified cases was used to document the occurrence, the degree of risk, and the factors associated with serious workplace violence. Results In total, 459 criminal cases involving patient-initiated workplace violence against health care workers in China were reported and processed. The analysis revealed geographic heterogeneity in the occurrence of serious workplace violence, with lower incidence in western provinces compared to central and eastern provinces. Primary hospitals experienced the highest rates of serious workplace violence and emergency departments and doctors were at higher risk compared with other departments and health workers. Perpetrators were primarily male farmers aged 18 to 44 with low levels of education. The most frequently reported reasons of serious patient-initiated workplace violence included perceived medical malpractice by the perpetrator after the death of a patient, death of a patient with no other reason given, failures of the compensation negotiations after the death of a patient, and dissatisfaction with the treatment outcomes. Conclusions Serious workplace violence against providers varies across regions and types of health care institutions in China. Perception of low-quality care is the most reported reason for violence. Efforts should be made to improve quality of care in the low-level health institutions and strengthen the doctor-patient communication during the whole course of service.

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Awareness of Social Infrastructures for Victims of Child Abuse Among Primary Health Workers in Ogun State, Nigeria

International Quarterly of Community Health Education ◽

10.1177/0272684x19835359 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 23-28

Author(s):

Afe Taiwo Opekitan ◽

Fetuga Bolanle ◽

Ogunsemi Olawale ◽

Adeleye Olufunke

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Child Abuse ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Social Infrastructure ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Ogun State ◽

Primary Health ◽

Care Workers

There is a significant dearth of information on available social infrastructures for helping victims of child abuse among all cadres of primary health-care workers. The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness of social and legal structures among primary health-care workers, which can help in reducing incidences and taking action. The survey was a cross-sectional survey of 20 primary health-care centers and 86 health workers in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria. The result showed a low level of awareness among health workers. A large percentage of health workers were unaware of any social infrastructure or hospital protocol for child abuse reporting: 68.4% of medical officers, 54.5% of nurses, and 66.7% of other health workers. There is a need for deliberate training among health workers on social infrastructure, which can help victims of child abuse.

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