Effect of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators on Speech Recognition Among Health Care Workers

Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) are used as personalized protective equipment for health care personnel. PAPRs offer health care workers added protection when dealing with patients who have high-risk infectious disease such as COVID-19. Unfortunately, PAPRs can produce notable levels of background noise. We hypothesize that PAPR use may be associated with increased hearing thresholds and impaired word discrimination and may ultimately have a negative impact on effective communication. Herein, we (1) determined sound levels generated by PAPRs and (2) measured hearing thresholds and word discrimination with and without operational PAPRs. All participants had normal hearing. When the PAPR was operational, mean ± SD thresholds increased from 4.5 ± 3.6 to 38.6 ± 5.6 dB HL ( P < .001). Word discrimination dropped from 100% in all participants in quiet to a mean 48% ± 14% with operational PAPR ( P < .001). Thus, we find that use of PAPR hoods results in hearing impairment comparable to moderate to severe hearing loss, and we suspect that users will experience communication difficulties as a result. Level of Evidence. Prospective study.

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Effect of Implementing Simulation Education on Health Care Worker Comfort With Nasopharyngeal Swabbing for COVID-19

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1177/0194599820933168 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 163 (2) ◽

pp. 271-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Michelle E. Mark ◽

Phillip LoSavio ◽

Inna Husain ◽

Peter Papagiannopoulos ◽

Pete S. Batra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Simulation Training ◽

False Negative ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Improve Health Care ◽

Care Workers ◽

Simulation Based ◽

Improve Health

Objective To determine if rapid implementation of simulation training for the nasopharyngeal swab procedure can increase provider confidence regarding procedure competency. Methods A simulation training exercise was designed as a departmental initiative to improve competency performing nasopharyngeal swabs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-one health care workers attended teaching sessions led by the Department of Otorhinolaryngology on proper nasopharyngeal swab technique. After a brief lecture, participants practiced their swab technique using a high-fidelity airway simulation model. Pre- and postintervention self-evaluations were measured via standardized clinical competency questionnaires on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “No knowledge, unable to perform” up to “Highly knowledgeable and confident, independent.” Results Forty-six participants in this study submitted pre- and postintervention self-assessments. Postintervention scores improved on average 1.41 points (95% CI, 1.10-1.73) out of 5 from a mean score of 3.13 to 4.54 ( P < .0001). This reflects a large effect size with a Glass’s delta value of 1.3. Discussion Lecture coupled with simulation-based teaching can significantly improve health care workers’ confidence in performing nasopharyngeal swabs. Proper training for frontline workers performing swabs for COVID-19 is essential to improving testing accuracy and can be achieved in a simple and timely manner. Implications for Practice To meet the testing needs of the growing pandemic, many health care workers who are unfamiliar with nasopharyngeal swabs have been asked to perform this test. Simulation-based teaching sessions may improve health care workers’ confidence and help prevent false-negative results. This intervention is easily reproducible in any setting where frequent nasopharyngeal swab testing occurs. Level of Evidence/Study Design Prospective cohort study.

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Harmful Alcohol Use Among Healthcare Workers at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya

10.21203/rs.3.rs-403929/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

FLORENCE JAGUGA ◽

EDITH KWOBAH ◽

ANN MWANGI ◽

KIRTIKA PATEL ◽

THOMAS MWOGI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Years Of Experience ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Harmful Alcohol ◽

Care Workers

Abstract Background: The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a major negative impact on public mental health particularly among health care workers. Alcohol use is a common maladaptive response to stress that is associated with adverse health consequences and that could impair productivity in the workplace for the health workforce. The aim of this study is to document the burden and factors associated with harmful alcohol use among health care workers at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from a parent online survey that investigated the prevalence and factors associated with mental disorders among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Analyses for this study were conducted to examine the burden and factors associated with harmful alcohol use among a sub-group of 887 participants who completed the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire.Results: Three hundred and eighty nine (43.9%) participants reported harmful alcohol use. The factors significantly associated with increased odds of endorsing harmful alcohol use were: being male (AOR= 1.56; 95% CI=1.14, 2.14; p=0.006), being not married (AOR= 2.06; 95% CI=1.48, 2.89; p<0.001), having 11-20 years of experience as compared to having 20+ years of experience (AOR= 1.91; 95% CI=1.18, 3.12; p=0.009), and being a specialist (AOR=2.78; CI=1.64, 4.78; P=<0.001) or doctor (AOR= 2.82; 95% CI=1.74, 4.63; p<0.001) as compared to being a nurse. Conclusions: A high proportion of health care workers reported harmful alcohol use at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Males, the unmarried, those with 11-20 years of experience in the health field, doctors and specialists were more likely to report harmful alcohol use. These findings highlight the need to institute interventions for harmful alcohol use targeting these groups of health care workers in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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COVID-19 in the Clinic: Aerosol Containment Mask for Endoscopic Otolaryngologic Clinic Procedures

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1177/01945998211024944 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 019459982110249

Author(s):

Elisabeth H. Ference ◽

Wihan Kim ◽

John S. Oghalai ◽

Jee-Hong Kim ◽

Brian E. Applegate

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Particle Detector ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Suction Pump ◽

Facial Hair ◽

3 Dimensional ◽

Care Workers ◽

Otolaryngologic Clinic ◽

Bench Testing

Objective To create an aerosol containment mask (ACM) that contains aerosols during common otolaryngologic endoscopic procedures while protecting patients from environmental aerosols. Study Design Bench testing. Setting Mannequin testing. Methods The mask was designed in SolidWorks and 3-dimensional printed. Mannequins were fitted with a nebulizer to generate aerosols. Commercial particle counters were used to measure mask performance. Results The ACM has 2 ports on either side for instruments and endoscopes, a port for a filter, and a port that can evacuate aerosols contained within the mask via a standard suction pump. The mask contained aerosols on a mannequin with and without facial hair when the suction was set to 18.5 L/min. Other types of masks demonstrated substantial aerosol leakage under similar conditions. In a subsequent experiment, the ACM contained aerosols generated by a nebulizer up to the saturation of the particle detector without measurable leakage with or without suction. Conclusion The ACM will accommodate rigid and flexible endoscopes plus instruments and prevent leakage of patient-generated aerosols, thus avoiding contamination of the room and protecting health care workers from airborne contagions. Level of evidence 2.

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Comparison of knowledge, attitude, socioeconomic burden, and mental health disorders of COVID-19 pandemic between general population and health care workers in Egypt

The Egyptian Journal of Neurology Psychiatry and Neurosurgery ◽

10.1186/s41983-021-00280-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gellan K. Ahmed ◽

Haidi Karam-Allah Ramadan ◽

Samah Mohammed Refay ◽

Mohamed A. Khashbah

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Protective Measures ◽

Care Workers ◽

Socioeconomic Burden ◽

Anxiety Depression

Abstract Introduction The global devastating effect of COVID-19 has caused anxiety and fear to variable extent among the public. We aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, socioeconomic burden, and the mental health problems regarding anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder during COVID-19 on the general population and HCWs in Egypt. Methods This study was conducted using a semi-structured online questionnaire in May 2020. Data on demographic features, socioeconomic scale, knowledge, and attitude regarding COVID-19 and the effect on different aspects of life were collected. Assessment was done using Arabic versions of Beck’s Anxiety Inventory, Beck’s Depression Inventory–II, and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. We divided participants into non-health care workers (non-HCWs) and HCWs groups. Results There were 524 participants who responded to the survey from 23 governorates. More than half of the participants were females (57.4%), middle age (53%), and middle socioeconomic class (66.6%). Non-HCWs were 402 and HCWs were 122. Most participants had good knowledge about the disease and a positive attitude toward protective measures particularly in HCWs. COVID-19 showed negative impact on different aspects of participants’ life. HCWs had higher frequency of anxiety (32%) and OCD (29%) than non-HCWs (30% and 28%, respectively) while non-HCWs had higher depression (69%) than HCWs (66.4%). HCWs had higher rates of severe depression (20.5%) with moderate and severe OCD (4.9%, 1.6% respectively) than non-HCWs. Female gender, young age, urban residence, students, smoking, history of medical illness, and low socioeconomic class were significant associated factors. Conclusions Health care workers had good knowledge about COVID-19 and a positive attitude toward the protective measures relative to non-HCWs. COVID-19 had a negative impact on different aspects of life and had a major association with the anxiety, depression, and OCD in both groups. Health professionals are more likely to have these psychological consequences.

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Učešće medicinske sestre specijaliste iz oblasti javnog zdravlja u prevenciji profesionalnih bolesti i povreda na radu

Sestrinska rec ◽

10.5937/sestrec2080029q ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (81) ◽

pp. 29-31

Author(s):

Slavica Đorđević

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Sick Leave ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Occupational Disease ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

The United States ◽

Health Providers ◽

Professional Stress ◽

Care Workers

Safety issues and occupational injuries and professional diseases or disorders - are enormous problems, not only in our country, but also in the world; and as the global problems of occupational injuries and professional diseases and disorders in the health providers system are increasing, with them increases the problems of decreasing quality of professional tasks due to occupational disease or injury occurred at work as well the negative impact of occupational disease occurrences in the life of every individual. The work of nurses is very complex and comprehensive within the health system and as such is faced with various risks and related consequences for health. According to statistics Ministry of Labor in the United States each year more than 35,000 nurses and nurse experience locomotor injuries for which must open the sick leave. This implies the need that the highly educated nurses must have an adequate level of knowledge about all risk factors, prevention measures and safety and care about their own health. According to the research of the American Nurses Association (ANA), nurses use 30% more sick leave than other health care workers, according to the incidence of exposure to unwanted risk, stress, harmful substances and excessive physical effort. The mismatch between the requirements related to the job and the environment, or the inability to satisfy those demands lead to professional stress. Professional stress is a phenomenon which often exposed health care workers. burn out syndrome is the result of persistent or recurrent emotional burdens incurred due to the intense concern for others and help others.

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Presenteeism among health care workers: literature review

Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho ◽

10.5327/z1679443520200478 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 97-102

Author(s):

Paulo Henrique Poti Homrich ◽

Fabio Fernandes Dantas-Filho ◽

Laura Luna Martins ◽

Emilian Rejane Marcon

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Management Tools ◽

Productivity Losses ◽

Physician Health ◽

Care Workers ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Impact

Presenteeism is an occupational and psychosocial phenomenon with negative impact on the work environment. In addition to causing losses in productivity losses, it also has implications for the state of health of workers. Therefore, presenteeism is likely to become a serious public health problem. The aim of the present study was to discuss the implications, means for evaluation and impact of presenteeism on the health and work of health care workers. We performed a literature search in database PubMed using keywords presenteeism, absenteeism, nurse presenteeism, physician presenteeism, sickness presenteeism, physician health organization, and working sick. We conclude that adequate assessment, raising the health managers’ awareness about the risks and harms associated with this phenomenon, and developing management tools will contribute to reduce the impact of presenteeism. This seems to be the proper path to make this problem more visible and hinder its growth.

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