COVID-19: The Importance of Adequate Personal Protective Equipment in Healthcare Medical Staff

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Weissenstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Emotional Resilience ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
And Control

We present an update on infection prevention and control for COVID-19 in healthcare settings. This update focuses on measures to be applied in settings with increasing community transmission, growing demand for concern about COVID-19 patients, and subsequent staffing issues in the event of shortages of personal protective equipment for healthcare facilities worldwide. The comfort and emotional resilience of health care workers are key components in maintaining essential health care services during the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) outbreak.

scholarly journals Infection prevention and control in health care settings during COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 81-92
Author(s):  
Kaniz Fatema ◽  
Lovely Barai
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Administrative Authority ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
And Control

Infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are of critical importance in protecting the frontline healthcare providers in the ongoing Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and keep the healthcare services functioning. Healthcare facilities should apply strict IPC measures to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to their staff and other patients. The backbones of IPC in healthcare facilities are administrative measures, physical distancing, hand hygiene and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment. All healthcare workers working in any type of healthcare settings must have proper knowledge of IPC. Rational, correct and consistent use of personal protective equipment according to level of exposure to patients decreases the transmission of pathogens and protects the frontline fighters. Cleaning and disinfection procedures of environmental surfaces, medical devices and equipments, laundry etc must be done correctly and consistently. Administrative authority should provide logistic support, arrange training for health care personnel and monitor their compliance to IPC practices. As there is still no definite treatment of this disease, comprehensive IPC programmes are the only hope to control this pandemic. Birdem Med J 2020; 10, COVID Supplement: 81-92

scholarly journals Infection control practices and challenges in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multicentre cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
pp. 175717742110127
Author(s):  
Salma Abbas ◽  
Faisal Sultan
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
And Control

Background: Patient and staff safety at healthcare facilities during outbreaks hinges on a prompt infection prevention and control response. Physicians leading these programmes have encountered numerous obstacles during the pandemic. Aim/objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate infection prevention and control practices and explore the challenges in Pakistan during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and administered a survey to physicians leading infection prevention and control programmes at 18 hospitals in Pakistan. Results: All participants implemented universal masking, limited the intake of patients and designated separate triage areas, wards and intensive care units for coronavirus disease 2019 patients at their hospitals. Eleven (61%) physicians reported personal protective equipment shortages. Staff at three (17%) hospitals worked without the appropriate personal protective equipment due to limited supplies. All participants felt overworked and 17 (94%) reported stress. Physicians identified the lack of negative pressure rooms, fear and anxiety among hospital staff, rapidly evolving guidelines, personal protective equipment shortages and opposition from hospital staff regarding the choice of recommended personal protective equipment as major challenges during the pandemic. Discussion: The results of this study highlight the challenges faced by physicians leading infection prevention and control programmes in Pakistan. It is essential to support infection prevention and control personnel and bridge the identified gaps to ensure patient and staff safety at healthcare facilities.

scholarly journals COVID-19: Utmost Need to Protect Frontline Health Care Workers in Pakistan

BioMedica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2S) ◽  
pp. 41-42
Author(s):  
Zohaib Ashraf ◽  
Muna Malik ◽  
Muhammad Irfan Malik
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
And Control

<p>Health care professionals (HCPs) remain the most vulnerable population while performing their duties they inadvertently put themselves at high risk for any pandemic. During COVID-19 outbreak, scarce supply of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and prolonged exposure of HCPs with large number of COVID-19 positive cases in healthcare settings, long stressful duty hours and insufficient infection prevention and control (IPC) training given to them has led to a large number of infected cases. Policies should be designed and implemented for more screening and better protection with provision of optimal resources to these valuable personnel of health care system.</p>

What do malaysian think of the quality of healthcare delivered?: a qualitative analysis of written impression (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Wahida Zulkifli
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Opinion Poll ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Care Services

BACKGROUND The public opinion and experience on the health care services are crucial to provide valuable insight towards improving and strengthening the health care systems. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the public perspective regarding the quality of health care services rendered by the health care facilities in Malaysia. METHODS The snowballing strategy was used to reach the target through an online opinion poll with three open-ended questions on the strengths of the healthcare facilities, their expectation and suggestion for improvement along with the sociodemographic characteristic. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. RESULTS A total of 800 participants (68% of females and 32% of males) participated. Their responses were grouped into 5 main themes namely: (1) system; (2) input; (3) service delivery; (4) outputs; (5) outcomes. Public feel that they are respected and treated with care by the healthcare providers. However, most of the participants highlighted the issue of long waiting time when they visited healthcare facilities. In relation to this issue, they suggested the facilities to have more staff especially doctors to improve current service. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, enhancing service delivery by reducing the waiting time, should be the main focus as viewed by the public. The quality of services provided would certainly be improved by having sufficient resources including healthcare workers.

scholarly journals Perception of doctors and nurses regarding prevention of COVID-19 infection at a Teaching Hospital, Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-21
Author(s):  
Lucky Sharma ◽  
Abhiskar Thapa ◽  
Hema Chand ◽  
Subash Pant ◽  
Arpana Neopane
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Care Center ◽  
College Teaching ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Care Center ◽  
Service Demand

Introduction: The use of personal protective equipment can be burdensome and the risk of COVID-19 infection for this group is high. This study details to evaluate how prepared Health Care Workers consider themselves to be regarding the delivery of infection prevention and control procedures in their place of work. Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital in September 2020. A questionnaire was given to participants along with the information about the study. Service demand, skills, beliefs about capabilities, beliefs about consequences, intentions, environmental context and resources, social influences, emotion, WHO Wellbeing (over the last two weeks) were taken as dependent variables. Result: Out of 112 participants, 58(51.7%) were doctors and 54(48.3%) nurses; 65(58.1%) female and 47(41.9%) were male. The mean age was 31.2±4.1 y. Service demand was scored lowest (mean 0.7 out of 7) and beliefs about consequences were scored highest (mean 5.7 out of 7). Conclusion: Healthcare workers agreed that personal protective equipment at work is sufficiently effective to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They were not confident that the health care center at present can manage or can continue to manage the current patient surge related to COVID-19.

scholarly journals Personal protective equipment and infection prevention and control: a national survey of UK medical students and interim foundation doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Jane Norton ◽  
Ioannis Georgiou ◽  
Alex Fung ◽  
Armin Nazari ◽  
Soham Bandyopadhyay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Multi Centre Study ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background The adequacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control (IPC) training in UK medical students and interim Foundation Year 1 (FiY1) doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown, as is its impact on COVID-19-related anxiety. Methods Cross-sectional, multi-centre study analysing self-reported adequacy of PPE and IPC training and correlation to a modified pandemic anxiety scale. Participants were current medical students and FiY1 doctors in the UK. Data were collected by an online survey. Results Participants reported that they received insufficient PPE information (43%) and IPC training (56%). Significantly, fewer participants identifying as women or BAME/mixed ethnicity reported receiving sufficient PPE information, compared with those identifying as men and White British/White Other, respectively. COVID-19-related anxiety was significantly higher in those without sufficient reported PPE or IPC training, in women compared with men, and in FiY1 doctors compared with medical students. Conclusions With medical students currently volunteering in and imminently returning to hospitals in an educational capacity, levels of self-reported PPE and IPC training are sub-optimal. Better training is paramount to avoid harm to patients and healthcare professionals and to reduce COVID-19-related anxiety among medical students and FiY1 doctors.

scholarly journals How to get away with COVID-19: endoscopy during post-peak pandemic. A perspective review

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 175628482096507
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Vanella ◽  
Gabriele Capurso ◽  
Ivo Boškoski ◽  
Eleonora Bossi ◽  
Carlo Signorelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Routine Work ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Free Environment ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Work And Health

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed the way we work, and health care services have to adapt. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the delay of non-urgent procedures were the immediate measures adopted by Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy Units at the time of crisis. As the peak has now passed in most countries, GI facilities are facing the next challenge of this pandemic: service providers must adapt their routine work to a ‘new normal’. Routine casework must resume, and waiting lists must be addressed: all in the awareness of the ongoing potential risks of COVID-19, and the threat of a second wave. In this review, we discuss strategies to manage the workload by improving procedure appropriateness and prioritization, whilst maintaining a ‘COVID-free’ environment. This includes monitoring of an adequate stock of PPE and the implications for the staff’s workload, and the GI trainees’ need of training.

scholarly journals Infection Prevention and Control in Liberia 5 Years After Ebola: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 216507992199807
Author(s):  
Laura Jean Ridge ◽  
Amy Witkoski Stimpfel ◽  
Robin Toft Klar ◽  
Victoria Vaughan Dickson ◽  
Allison Patricia Squires
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Clinician Training ◽  
And Control

Background: Effective management of health emergencies is an important strategy to improve health worldwide. One way to manage health emergencies is to build and sustain national capacities. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2015 resulted in greater infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity in Liberia, but few studies have investigated if and how that capacity was sustained. The purpose of this study was to examine the maintenance of IPC capacity in Liberia after Ebola. Methods: For this case study, data were collected via direct observation of nurse practice, semistructured interviews, and document collection. Data were collected in two counties in Liberia. Data were analyzed using directed content and general thematic analysis using codes generated from the safety capital theoretical framework, which describes an organization’s intangible occupational health resources. Findings: Thirty-seven nurses from 12 facilities participated. Ebola was a seminal event in the development of safety capital in Liberia, particularly regarding nurse knowledge of IPC and facilities’ investments in safety. The safety capital developed during Ebola is still being applied at the individual and organizational levels. Tangible resources, including personal protective equipment, however, have been depleted. Conclusions/Application to Practice: IPC capacity in Liberia had been sustained since Ebola but was threatened by under-investments in physical resources. Donor countries should prioritize sustained support, both financial and technical, in partnership with Liberian leaders. Occupational health nurses participating in disaster response should advocate for long-term investment by donor countries in personal protective equipment, access to water, and clinician training.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document