Association between Preventive Measures against Workplace Infection and Preventive Behavior against Personal Infection

Objectives: To prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, it is necessary for each individual to adopt infection prevention behavior. We investigated the effect of infection control measures implemented in the workplace on personal infection prevention behavior. Methods: We conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey through the Internet from December 22 to 25, 2020, during which period COVID-19 was spreading. Among respondents aged 20 to 65 years (n=27,036), a total of 21,915 workers were included in the analysis after excluding self-employed workers (n=2,202), workers in small/home offices (n=377), and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries workers (n=212), etc., whose personal infection prevention behavior was almost the same as infection control measures taken in the workplace. Results: The results showed that as the number of infection control measures in the workplace increased, implementation of infection prevention behavior by individuals also significantly increased. However, the relationship differed depending on the type of personal infection prevention behavior. Specifically, infection control measures against COVID-19 in the workplace may affect personal infection prevention behavior. Conclusion: Implementation of infection control measures in the workplace appears to deepen personal understanding of infection prevention behaviors, and increases awareness of the importance of individual infection prevention behavior and its implementation by all individuals. These findings may be applicable not only to COVID-19 measures but also to responses to other emerging infections and seasonal influenza.

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Emergence of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in San Francisco Bay Area Hospitals During 1994 to 1998

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/502414 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 408-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jon Rosenberg ◽

William R. Jarvis ◽

Sharon L. Abbott ◽

Due J. Vugia ◽

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

San Francisco ◽

San Francisco Bay ◽

San Francisco Bay Area ◽

Control Measures ◽

Emerging Infections ◽

Bay Area ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Vancomycin Resistant ◽

Rapid Emergence

AbstractObjective:To determine the magnitude of van-comycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in three counties in the San Francisco Bay area.Design:Active laboratory-based surveillance for VRE from January 1995 through December 1996 and a laboratory-based and hospital-based questionnaire survey for 1993 to 1994 and 1997 to 1998.Setting:All 33 general acute care hospitals in three counties in the San Francisco Bay area.Participants:Laboratories and infection control professionals serving these hospitals, and staff of the California Emerging Infections Program.Results:The number of hospitals reporting 1 or more patient clinical VRE isolates was 1 (3%) in 1993, 7 (21%) in 1994, 31 (94%) in 1995, and 33 (100%) in 1996 to 1998. The number of patient isolates increased from 1 in 1993 to 24 in 1994, 176 in 1995,429 in 1996, 730 in 1997, and 864 in 1998. Most VRE isolates in 1995 and 1996 were from urine and were not associated with serious clinical disease. However, the number of isolates from blood increased from 9 (6% of total) in 1995 to 44 (12% of the total) in 1996, 90 (14%) in 1997, and 100 (13%) in 1998.Conclusions:Our data document the rapid emergence and increase of VRE in all hospitals in three counties in the San Francisco Bay area during 1994 to 1998. Infection control measures for VRE together with antibiotic utilization programs should be implemented to limit further spread.

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COVID-19 management in social care in England: a systematic review of changing policies and newspaper reported staff perspectives.

10.1101/2021.11.17.21266410 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lavinia Bertini ◽

Leanne Bogen-Johnston ◽

Jo Middleton ◽

Wendy Wood ◽

Shanu Sadhwani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Infection Control ◽

Social Care ◽

Control Measures ◽

Care Staff ◽

Emerging Infections ◽

Public Attention ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Guidance Documents ◽

Guidance Needs

Adult social care has been a major focus of public attention and infection control guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a high mortality both for carers and those receiving care. To protect themselves and others from infection, staff in residential and domiciliary care settings had to quickly adapt to infection control measures that heavily impacted on their working and every-day life, whilst navigating new responsibilities, uncertainties and anxieties. We sought to explore the production and reception of guidance and look at ways these can be adapted to improve the working life of care staff in domiciliary and residential care whilst reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission amid this pandemic and of future emerging infections. We conducted two complementary and integrated systematic reviews of published documents in the pre-vaccination era: (1) National guidance for social care (conducted between 29 July to 28 October 2020), and (2) Newspaper coverage of infection control issues in social care (conducted between 27th July to 10th September 2020). Three higher order common themes emerged in the integrated systematic review of guidance documents and newspaper articles: a) Testing, b) Personal Protective Equipment, c) Employment. The reviews revealed a sharp disjunction between the content of infection control guidance and its usability and applicability in social care settings. We suggest that infection control guidance needs to be better adapted to social care settings and informed by the sector. The practicalities of care work and care settings need to be at the core of the process for guidance to be relevant and effective. Modes and timings of communications also need to be optimised.

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Implementation of an infection prevention bundle and increased physician awareness improves surgical outcomes and reduces costs associated with spine surgery

Journal of Neurosurgery Spine ◽

10.3171/2017.11.spine17436 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 108-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Nitin Agarwal ◽

Prateek Agarwal ◽

Ashley Querry ◽

Anna Mazurkiewicz ◽

Zachary J. Tempel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Infection Rate ◽

Spine Surgery ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Cost Savings ◽

Control Measures ◽

Control Group ◽

Infection Rates ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Physician Awareness

OBJECTIVEPrevious studies have demonstrated the efficacy of infection prevention protocols in reducing infection rates. This study investigated the effects of the development and implementation of an infection prevention protocol that was augmented by increased physician awareness of spinal fusion surgical site infection (SSI) rates and resultant cost savings.METHODSA cohort clinical investigation over a 10-year period was performed at a single tertiary spine care academic institution. Preoperative infection control measures (chlorohexidine gluconate bathing, Staphylococcus aureus nasal screening and decolonization) followed by postoperative infection control measures (surgical dressing care) were implemented. After the implementation of these infection control measures, an awareness intervention was instituted in which all attending and resident neurosurgeons were informed of their individual, independently adjudicated spinal fusion surgery infection rates and rankings among their peers. During the course of these interventions, the overall infection rate was tracked as well as the rates for those neurosurgeons who complied with the preoperative and postoperative infection control measures (protocol group) and those who did not (control group).RESULTSWith the implementation of postoperative surgical dressing infection control measures and physician awareness, the postoperative spine surgery infection rate decreased by 45% from 3.8% to 2.1% (risk ratio 0.55; 95% CI 0.32–0.93; p = 0.03) for those in the protocol cohort, resulting in an estimated annual cost savings of $291,000. This reduction in infection rate was not observed for neurosurgeons in the control group, although the overall infection rate among all neurosurgeons decreased by 54% from 3.3% to 1.5% (risk ratio 0.46; 95% CI 0.28–0.73; p = 0.0013).CONCLUSIONSA novel paradigm for spine surgery infection control combined with physician awareness methods resulted in significantly decreased SSI rates and an associated cost reduction. Thus, information sharing and physician engagement as a supplement to formal infection control measures result in improvements in surgical outcomes and costs.

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Nosocomial Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a Non-COVID Zone of a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India: Need to Upgrade Infection Control Practices

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health ◽

10.1177/21501327211050753 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 215013272110507

Author(s):

Kirtan Rana ◽

Bhawna Sharma ◽

Pinnaka Venkata Maha Lakshmi ◽

ManharPreet Kaur ◽

Mini P. Singh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Tertiary Care Hospital ◽

Ventilation System ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Control Measures ◽

North India ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Infection Control Measures

Background Hospital acquired infections are preventable cause for morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the current pandemic era proper implementation of infection control measures can prevent the spread of such infections including SARS-CoV 2. The study was done to identified the source and reason for spread of COVID-19 infection and devise recommendations to halt the progress of infection in a non-COVID area. Methods An outbreak in a non-COVID area of a tertiary care hospital was investigated by the infection control team along with the epidemiologist when they were notified about the rising cases of COVID-19 from Advanced Trauma Center’s (ATC) disaster ward. The time, place and person distribution of the cases were studied. Recommendations based on gaps identified were developed onsite and implemented to control the outbreak. Results The outbreak lasted from 19th December 2020 to 12th January 2021, affecting 34 people (25 patients and 9 health care workers). The attack rate was 9.2%. We identified the causes of current outbreak as compromises in infection prevention measures, high bed patient ratio, irregularities in the ventilation system, overcrowding by patient attendants and communication gaps between nursing officers and doctors. Measures required to control the outbreak were implemented and no cases were reported for 2 weeks following the last positive case. Conclusion Non-COVID areas of hospitals are also at risk of nosocomial outbreaks of SARS-CoV 2 and therefore strict infection prevention measures those designated to COVID areas should be followed in non-COVID zones also to prevent such outbreaks.

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Awareness And Behavior Of Dental Students Towards Infection Control Measures In Karachi, Pakistan

Journal of Bahria University Medical and Dental College ◽

10.51985/jbumdc2018035 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 08 (03) ◽

pp. 142-146

Author(s):

Chander Kumar ◽

Muznah Khalid ◽

Tauqeer Bibi

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Dental Students ◽

Control Measures ◽

Perceived Knowledge ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Survey Results ◽

And Behavior ◽

Hep B ◽

Self Administered Questionnaire ◽

The Ideal

Introduction: A dental operatory is an area for easy and quick transmission of infections. Infections like TB, Hep B, Hep C, HSV and HIV can be readily transmitted among patients and to the operating staff if proper measures are not taken. The aim of the present study was to assess self-perceived knowledge and practices of the dental students and graduates about infection control measures. Method: The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, comprising of 12 basic questions to judge the knowledge and practices of students in the dental OPDs. A total of 360 dental students and house officers participated voluntarily in the survey. Results: The results showed that there did not exist sufficient knowledge among dental students and fresh dental graduates about infection control measures. Conclusion: There is thus a dire need to fulfill the gap between the ideal practices protocol knowledge and practices that are being followed by the students.

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Surveillance of Infection Control Measures among All Hospitals Collecting Infection Prevention Medical Fees in Gifu Prefecture

Japanese Journal of Infection Prevention and Control ◽

10.4058/jsei.30.44 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 44-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tamayo WATANABE ◽

Takashi NIWA ◽

Mayumi TSUCHIYA ◽

Yuki TONOGAI ◽

Hirotoshi OHTA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Control Measures ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Medical Fees ◽

Gifu Prefecture

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Nurses’ Professional Care Obligation and Their Attitudes Towards SARS Infection Control Measures in Taiwan During and After the 2003 Epidemic

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1191/096733004ne695oa ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 277-289 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Huey-Ming Tzeng

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Time Frame ◽

Control Measures ◽

Hospital Nurses ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Current Health Status ◽

Care Workers ◽

Professional Care ◽

The Relationship

This study investigated the relationship between hospital nurses’ professional care obligation, their attitudes towards SARS infection control measures, whether they had ever cared for SARS patients, their current health status, selected demographic characteristics, and the time frame of the data collection (from May 6 to May 12 2003 during the SARS epidemic, and from June 17 to June 24 2003 after the SARS epidemic). The study defines 172 nurses’ willingness to provide care for SARS patients as a professional obligation regardless of the nature of the disease. A conceptual model was developed and tested using ordinal logistic regression modelling. The findings showed that nurses’ levels of agreement with general SARS infection control measures and the lack of necessity for quarantining health care workers who provided care for SARS patients were statistically significant predicators of the nurses’ fulfilling of their professional care obligation. Suggestions and study limitations are discussed.

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Infection prevention measures for patients undergoing hemodialysis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a nationwide questionnaire survey

Renal Replacement Therapy ◽

10.1186/s41100-021-00350-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yuka Sugawara ◽

◽

Masao Iwagami ◽

Kan Kikuchi ◽

Yoko Yoshida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Questionnaire Survey ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Control Measures ◽

Nosocomial Transmission ◽

Third Wave ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

Before And After ◽

Dialysis Facilities

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a global pandemic affecting a variety of medical treatments, including hemodialysis. This study aims to investigate the implementation of infection control measures, to examine the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectants, and to quantify the number of nosocomial COVID-19 transmissions in hemodialysis facilities in Japan during the pandemic. Methods We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey between 20 October and 16 November 2020 (i.e., between the “second wave” and “third wave” in Japan) in the 4198 dialysis facilities of the Japanese Association of Dialysis Physicians and the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy. A total of 2227 facilities (53.0%) responded. The questionnaire consisted of (i) characteristics of facilities, (ii) infection prevention measures in routine dialysis practices, (iii) shortage of PPE, (iv) feasibility of various isolation measures, and (v) nosocomial transmission. Results Half of the responding facilities were hospitals with multiple departments, and the other half were clinics specialized in dialysis. Several infection prevention measures such as health checks of staff and patients, donning of masks before and after hemodialysis, and disinfection of frequently contacted areas were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant improvement in the implementation rate of these measures during the pandemic, compared to before it, which reached over 90%. More than half of the facilities reported a shortage of disposable masks (67.2%) and hand sanitizer alcohol (56.7%). Isolation of COVID-19 patients in private rooms was possible only in 52.7% of the facilities. The majority of facilities (73.3%) could not accept COVID-19 dialysis patients due to lack of space and manpower. Nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 occurred in 4.0% of the facilities. Of those infected, 51.9% were staff. Conclusions This survey revealed that most hemodialysis facilities in Japan had improved implementation of infection control measures and had shortage of PPEs and disinfectants, though some facilities did not implement infection prevention measures adequately, mainly due to the limited space of the facility. It may be recommended that each facility immediately establishes isolation measures to prepare for the pandemic of COVID-19.

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