Knowledge of Clostridium difficile infection among UK health-care workers: development of a knowledge assessment tool

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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P30 Can non-allergy health workers safely delabel reported penicillin allergies using an antibiotic allergy assessment tool? - A multicentre study

BJS Open ◽

10.1093/bjsopen/zrab032.029 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Rhys Owens ◽

Jonathan Sandoe ◽

Andrew Whyte ◽

Robert West ◽

Mandy Slatter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Error Rate ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Health Workers ◽

Penicillin Allergy ◽

Average Score ◽

Major Error ◽

Antibiotic Allergy ◽

Care Workers

Abstract Background False penicillin allergy labels can be potentially hazardous to patients. Most penicillin allergy labels can be safely removed following risk stratification and formal drug challenge. These de-labelling strategies have been limited to specialist allergy and infectious disease services. Aims To determine whether non-allergy specialist health-care workers can use an antibiotic allergy assessment tool (AAAT) to correctly phenotype and manage reported penicillin allergy. Method Non-allergy health-care workers in three UK hospital were emailed online questionnaires and asked to assign the allergy phenotype and management recommendation for eight vignettes of real cases reporting a penicillin allergy using the AAAT. In one hospital participants were randomised into two groups: one group was directed to use the AAAT whilst the second group had no decision tool. Participants were assigned an average score for correct allergy phenotype, management and a major error rate. Results Use of the AAAT across the eight vignettes significantly improved the average score for assigning correct phenotype (6.7 vs 5.2 p < 0.001), management choice (7.1 vs 5.7 p < 0.001), and major error rate (0.6 vs 1.6 p < 0.001). Participant performance with the AAAT was generalizable across all three hospitals. Despite use of the AAAT 35-40% of participants made at least one major error. Conclusion The AAAT significantly improved health worker performance in phenotyping and choosing correct management for reported penicillin. However, even with the AAAT, there remains a risk of potentially hazardous management choices highlighting the need for formal allergy training to expand penicillin allergy assessment services.

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Knowledge of Clostridium difficile infection amongst UK healthcare workers; development of a knowledge assessment tool

Journal of Infection ◽

10.1016/j.jinf.2011.04.139 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

pp. e79-e80

Author(s):

Richard Brady ◽

Mark Rodrigues ◽

Rowan Harrison ◽

Carol Rae ◽

Cat Graham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Difficile ◽

Clostridium Difficile Infection ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Knowledge Assessment

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Predictors of Anxiety Regarding The COVID-19 Pandemic Among Health-care Workers in a Hospital Not Assigned to Manage COVID-19 Patients in Nepal.

10.1101/2020.07.08.20148866 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lekhjung Thapa ◽

Aparna Ghimire ◽

Sulochana Ghimire ◽

Nooma Sharma ◽

Shakti Shrestha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Work Experience ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Subjective Assessment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Care Workers

Introduction: We studied the levels and severity of anxiety caused by COVID-19 amongst frontline health-care workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care neurological hospital in Nepal, not assigned to manage COVID-19 cases. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 frontline Health Care Workers (HCWs) using a 10-point subjective assessment tool, the Anxiety Level Index (ALI), and the Zung Self Rating Anxiety Score (SAS), to assess the level of anxiety regarding COVID-19. Results: On ALI 55% of HCWs were found to have marked severe anxiety (6-9), however, on SAS 44% of HCWs reported anxiety. The majority HCWs were female (n=78) with nurses forming 62% of the sample size. The mean age was 26.8 years (SD 8.17). Factors associated with significantly higher levels of anxiety regarding COVID-19 on ALI were age (p=0.002), sex (p=0.001), receiving regular COVID-19 updates via social media (p=0.011) and a high frequency of checking for COVID-19 information authenticity (p=0.039). Work experience (p=0.026) and frequency of checking for information authenticity (p=0.029) were factors found to increase SAS measured anxiety and were found to be associated with significantly higher levels of anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that respondents with work experience of less than or equal to 2 years were 0.380 (95% CI 0.158 to 0.910) times less likely to have anxiety than those with work experience of more than 2 years. Similarly, the odds of having anxiety among those who checked information authenticity less frequently was 0.377 (95% CI 0.153 to 0.931) times less than those who often did. Conclusion: The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a substantial impact on the mental health of frontline HCWs in a hospital not assigned to manage COVID-19 patients. Length of time of worked in healthcare and the frequency of checking for COVID-19-related information were significant predictors of anxiety.

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Clostridium difficile contamination of health care workers' hands and its potential contribution to the spread of infection: Review of the literature

American Journal of Infection Control ◽

10.1016/j.ajic.2016.08.017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 51-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Ingrid Jullian-Desayes ◽

Caroline Landelle ◽

Marie-Reine Mallaret ◽

Christian Brun-Buisson ◽

Frédéric Barbut

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Clostridium Difficile ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Care Workers ◽

Spread Of Infection

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Factors Influencing Health Care Workers’ Willingness to Respond to Duty during Infectious Disease Outbreaks and Bioterrorist Events: An Integrative Review

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x21000248 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-35

Author(s):

Eleanor J. Murray ◽

Matt Mason ◽

Vanessa Sparke ◽

Peta-Anne P. Zimmerman

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽

Care Workers

Abstract Background: Infectious disease emergencies are increasingly becoming part of the health care delivery landscape, having implications to not only individuals and the public, but also on those expected to respond to these emergencies. Health care workers (HCWs) are perhaps the most important asset in an infectious disease emergency, yet these individuals have their own barriers and facilitators to them being willing or able to respond. Aim: The purpose of this review was to identify factors affecting HCW willingness to respond (WTR) to duty during infectious disease outbreaks and/or bioterrorist events. Methods: An integrative literature review methodology was utilized to conduct a structured search of the literature including CINAHL, Medline, Embase, and PubMed databases using key terms and phrases. PRISMA guidelines were used to report the search outcomes and all eligible literature was screened with those included in the final review collated and appraised using a quality assessment tool. Results: A total of 149 papers were identified from the database search. Forty papers were relevant following screening, which highlighted facilitators of WTR to include: availability of personal protective equipment (PPE)/vaccine, level of training, professional ethics, family and personal safety, and worker support systems. A number of barriers were reported to prevent WTR for HCWs, such as: concern and perceived risk, interpersonal factors, job-level factors, and outbreak characteristics. Conclusions: By comprehensively identifying the facilitators and barriers to HCWs’ WTR during infectious disease outbreaks and/or bioterrorist events, strategies can be identified and implemented to improve WTR and thus improve HCW and public safety.

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