scholarly journals Impact of personal protective equipment use on health care workers’ physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Galanis ◽  
Irene Vraka ◽  
Despoina Fragkou ◽  
Angeliki Bilali ◽  
Daphne Kaitelidou
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

SummaryBackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers (HCWs) caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in high-risk clinical settings have been obliged to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).AimTo assess the impact of PPE use on HCWs’ physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, we examined factors related with a greater risk of adverse events among HCWs due to PPE use.MethodsWe applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines and the Cochrane criteria for this systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Medline, Scopus, ProQuest, CINAHL and pre-print services (medRxiv) from January 1, 2020 to December 27, 2020.FindingsOur review included 14 studies with 11,746 HCWs from 16 countries. The estimated overall prevalence of adverse events among HCWs was 78% (95% CI: 66.7-87.5%) with a range from 42.8% to 95.1% among studies. The prevalence of adverse events was higher for the studies with poor quality compared to those with moderate quality (83.5% vs. 67.1%), while increased sample size was related with decreased prevalence (p<0.001). The most frequent adverse events were headache (55.9%), dry skin (54.4%), dyspnoea (53.4%), pressure injuries (40.4%), itching (39.8%), hyperhidrosis (38.5%), and dermatitis (31.0%). Among others, the following factors were related with the risk of adverse events among HCWs due to PPE use: female gender, younger age, obesity, diabetes mellitus, smoking pre-existing headache, longer duration of shifts wearing PPE, increased consecutive days with PPE, and increased exposure to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients.ConclusionThe frequency of adverse events amongst HCWs due to PPE use is very high. Further studies should be conducted since the limitations of this review do not allow us to infer conclusive results especially in case of risk factors for the occurrence of adverse events. Healthcare facilities should take the necessary precautions and change the working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent adverse events associated with PPE use and minimize harm to HCWs.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associated factors in health care workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Galanis ◽  
Irene Vraka ◽  
Despoina Fragkou ◽  
Angeliki Bilali ◽  
Daphne Kaitelidou
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Polymerase Chain Reaction Test ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Positive Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Care Workers

SummaryBackgroundHealth care workers (HCWs) represent a high risk population for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.AimTo determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs, and to find out the factors that are associated with this seroprevalence.MethodsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were applied for this systematic review and meta-analysis. Databases including PubMed/MEDLINE and pre-print services (medRχiv and bioRχiv) were searched from inception up to August 24, 2020.FindingsForty-nine studies, including 127,480 HCWs met the inclusion criteria. The estimated overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs was 8.7% (95% CI: 6.7-10.9%). Seroprevalence was higher in studies that were conducted in North America (12.7%) compared to those in Europe (8.5%), Africa (8.2), and Asia (4%). Meta-regression showed that increased sensitivity of antibodies test was associated with increased seroprevalence. The following factors were associated with seropositivity: male gender, Black, Asian, and Hispanic HCWs, work in a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unit, patient-related work, frontline health care workers, health care assistants, personal protective equipment shortage, self-reported belief for previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, previous positive polymerase chain reaction test, and household contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients.ConclusionThe seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs is high. Excellent adherence to infection prevention and control measures, sufficient and adequate personal protective equipment, and early recognition, identification and isolation of HCWs that are infected with SARS-CoV-2 are imperative to decrease the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

scholarly journals Teaching Adequate Prehospital Use of Personal Protective Equipment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development of a Gamified e-Learning Module

10.2196/20173 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e20173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Suppan ◽  
Birgit Gartner ◽  
Eric Golay ◽  
Loric Stuby ◽  
Marion White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Learning Module ◽  
Game Mechanics ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Impact

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Adequate use of this equipment is more critical than ever because the risk of shortages must be balanced against the need to effectively protect health care workers, including prehospital personnel. Specific training is therefore necessary; however, the need for social distancing has markedly disrupted the delivery of continuing education courses. Electronic learning (e-learning) may provide significant advantages because it requires neither the physical presence of learners nor the repetitive use of equipment for demonstration. Objective Inclusion of game mechanics, or “gamification,” has been shown to increase knowledge and skill acquisition. The objective of this research was to develop a gamified e-learning module to interactively deliver concepts and information regarding the correct choice and handling of PPE. Methods The SERES framework was used to define and describe the development process, including scientific and design foundations. After we defined the target audience and learning objectives by interviewing the stakeholders, we searched the scientific literature to establish relevant theoretical bases. The learning contents were validated by infection control and prehospital experts. Learning mechanics were then determined according to the learning objectives, and the content that could benefit from the inclusion of game mechanics was identified. Results The literature search resulted in the selection and inclusion of 12 articles. In addition to gamification, pretesting, feedback, avoiding content skipping, and demonstrations using embedded videos were used as learning mechanics. Gamification was used to enhance the interactivity of the PPE donning and doffing sequences, which presented the greatest learning challenges. The module was developed with Articulate Storyline 3 to ensure that it would be compatible with a wide array of devices, as this software generates HTML5-compatible output that can be accessed on smartphones, tablets, and regular computers as long as a recent browser is available. Conclusions A gamified e-learning module designed to promote better knowledge and understanding of PPE use among prehospital health care workers was created by following the SERES framework. The impact of this module should now be assessed by means of a randomized controlled trial.

scholarly journals IMPACT OF A SINGLE TUTORIAL SESSION ON THE TECHNIQUE OF USING PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT BY HEALTH CARE WORKERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1765-70
Author(s):  
Jamal Azfar Khan ◽  
Asif Ali ◽  
Farzana Muneer
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tutorial Session ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To determine the impact of a single tutorial session on the technique of donning and doffing the personal protective equipment by health care workers. Study Design: Cross-sectional comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: CMH Landi Kotal Cantt, from 1st March 2020 to 10th June 2020. Patients and Methods: The study was conducted on 62 health workers, working in CMH Landi Kotal Cantt. They were asked to demonstrate donning and doffing surgical masks, gowns and gloves and the steps were evaluated as per a standardized checklist. Then, the participants were given a single tutorial of the donning and doffing technique of personal protective equipment. They were asked to demonstrate their technique of personal protective equipment use one week, one month and three months after the tutorial. Any improvement was recorded in the checklist used earlier. Results: The correct donning and doffing technique of personal protective equipment were demonstrated by 22 and 14 participants respectively before the tutorial. When evaluated one week after the tutorial, this number increased to 48 and 38 respectively, showing significant improvement (p<0.05). The technique of personal protective equipment use deteriorated significantly one month of the tutorial and deteriorated further after three months (p<0.05). The most common fault while donning and doffing the equipment was the incorrect donning sequence, and self-contamination while taking off the gloves, respectively. Conclusion: A single tutorial session results in significant improvement in the technique of using personal protective equipment by health care workers but the effect is lost over time.

scholarly journals Teaching Adequate Prehospital Use of Personal Protective Equipment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development of a Gamified e-Learning Module (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Suppan ◽  
Birgit Gartner ◽  
Eric Golay ◽  
Loric Stuby ◽  
Marion White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Learning Module ◽  
Game Mechanics ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Adequate use of this equipment is more critical than ever because the risk of shortages must be balanced against the need to effectively protect health care workers, including prehospital personnel. Specific training is therefore necessary; however, the need for social distancing has markedly disrupted the delivery of continuing education courses. Electronic learning (e-learning) may provide significant advantages because it requires neither the physical presence of learners nor the repetitive use of equipment for demonstration. OBJECTIVE Inclusion of game mechanics, or “gamification,” has been shown to increase knowledge and skill acquisition. The objective of this research was to develop a gamified e-learning module to interactively deliver concepts and information regarding the correct choice and handling of PPE. METHODS The SERES framework was used to define and describe the development process, including scientific and design foundations. After we defined the target audience and learning objectives by interviewing the stakeholders, we searched the scientific literature to establish relevant theoretical bases. The learning contents were validated by infection control and prehospital experts. Learning mechanics were then determined according to the learning objectives, and the content that could benefit from the inclusion of game mechanics was identified. RESULTS The literature search resulted in the selection and inclusion of 12 articles. In addition to gamification, pretesting, feedback, avoiding content skipping, and demonstrations using embedded videos were used as learning mechanics. Gamification was used to enhance the interactivity of the PPE donning and doffing sequences, which presented the greatest learning challenges. The module was developed with Articulate Storyline 3 to ensure that it would be compatible with a wide array of devices, as this software generates HTML5-compatible output that can be accessed on smartphones, tablets, and regular computers as long as a recent browser is available. CONCLUSIONS A gamified e-learning module designed to promote better knowledge and understanding of PPE use among prehospital health care workers was created by following the SERES framework. The impact of this module should now be assessed by means of a randomized controlled trial.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Health Care Workers: Cross-sectional Analysis of an Otolaryngology Unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Paderno ◽  
Milena Fior ◽  
Giulia Berretti ◽  
Alberto Schreiber ◽  
Alberto Grammatica ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Impact

The restart of routine in- and outpatient activity in the COVID-19 postepidemic peak needs to be carefully planned in light of specific patterns of viral diffusion. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2 serology in the entire personnel of a COVID-19-free otolaryngology department in a highly affected area. The aim was to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 positivity among staff to clarify the impact of different risk factors for infection. The entire staff of the otolaryngology unit was tested for SARS-CoV-2 serology. Symptomatic staff members were tested with nasal/pharyngeal swabs. All answered a survey focused on the number of in- and extrahospital positive contacts and type of activities in the unit. Five (9%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The only variable associated with a higher risk of infection was the number of extrahospital contacts without personal protective equipment ( P = .008). Our study shows that in non-COVID-19 departments, the use of adequate personal protective equipment leads to low rates of infection among health care workers. The prevalent risk of infection was related to extrahospital contact.

scholarly journals COVID – 19 related knowledge and preventive practices early in the outbreak among health care workers in selected public health facilities of Illu aba Bor and Buno Bedelle zones, Southwest Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dereje Tsegaye ◽  
Muluneh Shuremu ◽  
Dereje Oljira ◽  
Sileshi Dubale ◽  
Getachew Befekadu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Southwest Ethiopia ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Care Workers

Abstract Background Novel-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease is currently a worldwide health risk and public health emergency concern. The virus is transmitted from an infected person to another person through close contact and droplets. Frontline health care workers are the most at risk of infection, and so a WHO interim guidance document was issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) which underscores the importance of proper sanitation and waste management practices for COVID- 19 in health-care settings. This study aimed at assessing knowledge and preventive practices towards Covid-19 among health care providers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno Bedele zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2020 among 330 health workers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno-Bedelle Zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of preventive practices towards Covid-19. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. Result The majority of respondents (93.3%) demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, and the mean (SD) knowledge score was 9.04 ± 1.06. Nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of the study participants had good infection prevention practices. Being male (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI: (1.96, 6.80)), education level (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI (1.02, 3.22)), profession (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI (1.08, 9.33)), service year (5–10 years) (AOR = 2.00 (1.02, 3.92)) and more than 10 years (AOR = 3.14 (1.51, 6.52)), availability of personal protective equipment (AOR = 1.96 (1.06, 3.61)) and Knowledge level (AOR = 2.61 (1.48, 4.62)) were independent predictors of COVID-19 preventive practices. Conclusion The overall level of knowledge of HCWs was good. However, the practice was relatively low. Gender, educational status, profession, year of service, knowledge towards COVID-19, and availability of personal protective equipment were independent predictors of good infection prevention practices. Optimizing the infection prevention and control loop of the health facilities is recommended.

scholarly journals Adherence to personal protective equipment use among healthcare workers caring for confirmed COVID-19 and alleged non-COVID-19 patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meike M. Neuwirth ◽  
Frauke Mattner ◽  
Robin Otchwemah
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Care Workers

AbstractAdherence observations of health care workers (HCW) revealed deficiencies in the use of recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) among HCW caring in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards during the first period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in a university hospital in Germany. The adherence to wearing surgical face or FFP2-masks and disinfecting hands prior to donning and after doffing the PPE was significantly higher in COVID-19 wards However, there was no total adherence of 100% in COVID-19 wards.

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