scholarly journals COVID-19 in intensive care. Some necessary steps for health care workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nipun Malhotra ◽  
Nitesh Gupta ◽  
Somya Ish ◽  
Pranav Ish
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Prolonged Contact ◽  
Deteriorating Patient ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
Repeated Contact ◽  
Exhaustive List

Due to the nature of their profession, health care personnel (HCP) have always been easy targets for transmission of communicable diseases like COVID-19. Shielding HCPs is of consequential significance in ensuring continued health care for the whole population in addition to reducing further spread. Close contact, repeated contact and prolonged contact are unavoidable in the intensive care (IC) environment. It is not uncommon for IC-HCPs to get carried away during an emergent situation, such as that posed by a suddenly deteriorating patient, and forgo the protective barriers that protect them from contracting a communicable infection. Some notable precautionary measures are mentioned below. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Covid-19 and its financial effects on the dental fraternity and health-care workers: A literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 628-631
Author(s):  
Devangi Agrawal ◽  
Namisha Khara ◽  
Bhushan Mundada ◽  
Nitin Bhola ◽  
Rajiv Borle
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Dental Procedures ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Dental Practices ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up

In the wake of the current outbreak of novel Covid-19, which is now declared as a 'pandemic' by the WHO, people around the globe have been dealing with a lot of difficulties. This virus had come into light in December 2019 and since then has only grown exponentially. Amongst the most affected are the ones who have been working extremely hard to eradicate it, which includes the hospitals, dental fraternity and the health-care workers. These people are financially burdened due to limited practise. In the case of dentistry, to avoid the spread of the virus, only emergency treatments are being approved, and the rest of the standard procedures have been put on hold. In some cases, as the number of covid cases is rising, many countries are even trying to eliminate the emergency dental procedures to divert the finances towards the treatment of covid suffering patients. What we need to realise is that this is probably not the last time that we are facing such a situation. Instead of going down, we should set up guidelines with appropriate precautionary measures together with the use of standardised PPEs. The government should also establish specific policies to support dental practices and other health-care providers. Together, we can fight this pandemic and come out stronger.

scholarly journals Are mobile phones of health care workers portals of pathogenic organisms causing hospital acquired infections in intensive care units? A mini systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-214
Author(s):  
M. Mukhtar-Yola ◽  
B. Andrew
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hospital Acquired Infections ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Hospital Acquired

Background: Health care workers at the bedside of critically ill babies freely carry their mobile phones in between procedures and handling  patients. Concerns are rising as this may contribute to nosocomial infections with pathogenic bacteria. Aim: To determine if mobile phones of health care workers in Intensive care units carry potentially pathogenic bacteria leading to hospital acquired infections. Design: Systematic review.Data sources: Electronic databases (Medline via ovid, CINAHL, Web of science) and hand Searching of references and citations were done to identify studies. Screening and inclusion criteria were used to identify studies with a cross-sectional or cohort design. The search was limited to journal articles published between 2008-2015 and to English language. Quality assessment was done using the National Institute of Health tool for observational studies. Data was extracted on to excel sheets and analysed using SPSS version 22.Results: Six studies with a cohort (1) or cross-sectional design (5) involving 1, 131 health care workers were reviewed. The overall quality of the studies was fair, and a narrative synthesis was done. The colonization rate of the mobile phones ranged between 46.3 % and a 100% with 13-50% carrying potentially pathogenic multidrug resistant microorganisms. Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycine resistant enterococci, acinobacter and coagulase negative staphylococci were reported across all studies and were recognized as leading causes of morbidity and mortalityin the ICU. Conclusion: Mobile phones Of HCW are portals of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, which could result in morbidity and mortality.Although no causal relationship could be established, strong associations have been reported. Guidelines by hospital infection control committees are needed on restriction, care and routine cleaning of mobile phones as well as further research. Key words: Health care worker, Intensive care unit, Hospital Acquired Infections, mobile phones

scholarly journals Infection, screening, and psychological stress of health care workers with COVID-19 in a non-frontline clinical department

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Ge Wang ◽  
Jia-Lun Guan ◽  
Xiu-Qing Zhu ◽  
Mu-Ru Wang ◽  
Dan Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Endoscopic Examination ◽  
Viral Shedding ◽  
Clinical Department ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Ward Rounds

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate risk factors and psychological stress of health care workers (HCWs) with COVID-19 in a non-frontline clinical department. Methods: Data of 2 source patients and all HCWs with infection risk were obtained in a department in Wuhan from January to February 2020. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate psychological stress of COVID-19 on HCWs. Results: The overall infection rate was 4.8% in HCWs. 10 of 25 HCWs who contacted with 2 source patients were diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19 (8/10) and suspected COVID-19 (2/10). Other 2 HCWs were transmitted by other patients or colleagues. Close care behaviours included physical examination (6/12), life nursing (4/12), ward rounds (4/12), endoscopic examination (2/12). Contacts fluctuated from 1 to 24 times and each contact was short (8.1 min ± 5.6 min). HCWs wore surgical masks (11/12), gloves (7/12), and isolation clothing (3/12) when providing medical care. Most HCWs experienced a mild course with 2 asymptomatic infections, taking 9.8 days and 20.9 days to obtain viral shedding and clinical cure, respectively. Psychological stress included worry (58.3%), anxiety (83.3%), depression (58.3%), and insomnia (58.3%). Conclusions: Close contact with COVID-19 patients and insufficient protection were key risk factors. Precaution measures and psychological support on COVID-19 is urgently required for HCWs.

scholarly journals Prevalence of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus among health care workers of intensive care units in Ecuador

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (01) ◽  
pp. 116-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Ruiz ◽  
Marcelo Mora ◽  
Camilo Zurita ◽  
Danny Larco ◽  
Yadira Toapanta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Mrsa Colonization

Introduction: Colonization of health care workers with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been an important route of dispersion and infection of MRSA and has been implicated in epidemic outbreaks. The objective of the present study was to assess prevalence of MRSA colonization in the anterior nares of health care personnel at the intensive care unit (ICUs) of three hospital facilities in Quito, Ecuador. Methodology: The prevalence of MRSA in specimens from all ICU health care workers of three hospitals was measured by using a real-time PCR assay and CHROMagar MRSA. Results: The prevalence of MRSA among the three health care facilities was 2.4%. Conclusion: The prevalence of MRSA colonization was relatively low compared to other studies and showed no differences between hospital facilities.

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