scholarly journals COVID-19 in Nepal: Scarcity of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and its Alternative

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-80
Author(s):  
Laxmi Panthy ◽  
Jagadishwor Panthi ◽  
Kapil Amgain ◽  
Pooja Thapaliya ◽  
Jos Van Laar
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Market ◽  
World Health ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Protective Gear ◽  
Preventive Practices

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), which was first discovered in Wuhan, China in December 2019, puts an entire world under unprecedented danger. Powerful nations such as the United States of America and European Union countries having their hardest time to get sufficient medical protective gear, ensure market operation, and eventually to save people from dying of corona infection. To date, 213 countries have been affected. World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 123,010 deaths and 1914,916 cases with coronavirus positive as of 15 April 2020. It has created a global public health emergency. There is no specific prophylaxis or treatment available yet.  Hand washing, covering one's mouth when coughing, social distancing, self-isolation, and quarantine are preventive measures to hamper the spread of disease. Currently, Nepal has entered into the second phase of the outbreak. Health care workers (HCW) at the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 are ill-equipped to treat coronavirus patients, due to not having adequate personal protective equipment in Nepal. Additionally, there is a shortage of PPE in the world market due to the aggressive buying of PPE globally. According to UNICEF, demand for protective gear used in response to COVID-19 has increased as high as 1000-2000 folds than of annual demand. Conclusion: In this global scarcity, locally made PPE has become another alternate way for Nepal.  Hence, some of the local garments, hospitals, and local rural municipalities have prepared and delivered to HCWs. Although these Nepal-made PPE are not as high quality as imported ones, they at least offer some protection to medical staff.   Recommendations: Following is our recommendation to the stakeholders:     Learn- from countries with the lowest mortality rate and best medical & preventive practices policies, as fast as possible. Alternative Approaches - are necessary to decrease the risk of exposure to HCWs and are safe for patient care in this global market scarcity of PPE. Solidarity- between richer and poorer countries is necessary. Cooperate globally - international cooperation between governments, scientists, corporations, and health care professionals is not only needed but also necessary to end this pandemic.

scholarly journals COVID – 19 related knowledge and preventive practices early in the outbreak among health care workers in selected public health facilities of Illu aba Bor and Buno Bedelle zones, Southwest Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dereje Tsegaye ◽  
Muluneh Shuremu ◽  
Dereje Oljira ◽  
Sileshi Dubale ◽  
Getachew Befekadu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Southwest Ethiopia ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Care Workers

Abstract Background Novel-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease is currently a worldwide health risk and public health emergency concern. The virus is transmitted from an infected person to another person through close contact and droplets. Frontline health care workers are the most at risk of infection, and so a WHO interim guidance document was issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) which underscores the importance of proper sanitation and waste management practices for COVID- 19 in health-care settings. This study aimed at assessing knowledge and preventive practices towards Covid-19 among health care providers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno Bedele zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2020 among 330 health workers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno-Bedelle Zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of preventive practices towards Covid-19. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. Result The majority of respondents (93.3%) demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, and the mean (SD) knowledge score was 9.04 ± 1.06. Nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of the study participants had good infection prevention practices. Being male (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI: (1.96, 6.80)), education level (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI (1.02, 3.22)), profession (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI (1.08, 9.33)), service year (5–10 years) (AOR = 2.00 (1.02, 3.92)) and more than 10 years (AOR = 3.14 (1.51, 6.52)), availability of personal protective equipment (AOR = 1.96 (1.06, 3.61)) and Knowledge level (AOR = 2.61 (1.48, 4.62)) were independent predictors of COVID-19 preventive practices. Conclusion The overall level of knowledge of HCWs was good. However, the practice was relatively low. Gender, educational status, profession, year of service, knowledge towards COVID-19, and availability of personal protective equipment were independent predictors of good infection prevention practices. Optimizing the infection prevention and control loop of the health facilities is recommended.

scholarly journals Empowering Health Care Professionals: An Interprofessional Education Model Implementation and Evaluation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Shank Coviello
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
World Health ◽  
Institute Of Medicine ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Ensure Patient Safety

In 2016, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported medical error as the 3rd leading cause of death in healthcare systems in the United States. Effective communication of patient care needs across healthcare disciplines is critical to ensure patient safety, quality of care, and to improve operational efficiencies in healthcare systems. Ineffective collaboration and communication among healthcare professionals within the procedural areas increases the potential of harm as a patient moves from one healthcare professional to another. Health care systems are thus encouraged to train employees with a focus on interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice. IOM and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend the use of IPE to help improve communication and collaboration. However the current educational structure in many institutions does not include IPE. As such, healthcare professionals work in silos, with little or no collaboration with one another, which may result in service duplication, increased service cost, and poor health outcomes for patients.

scholarly journals Utilization of an Orthopedic Hood as Personal Protective Equipment for Intubation of Coronavirus Patients: a Brief Technical Report

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 215145932093055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy T. Wills ◽  
Wilhelm A. Zuelzer ◽  
Bryant W. Tran
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Endotracheal Intubation ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Ventilation System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Technical Report

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has afflicted millions of people worldwide since its first case was reported in December 2019. Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been tailored accordingly, but as of April 2020, close to 10 000 health care workers in the United States have contracted COVID-19 despite wearing recommended PPE. As such, standard guidelines for PPE may be inadequate for the health care worker performing high-risk aerosolizing procedures such as endotracheal intubation. In this brief technical report, we describe the integration of an orthopedic hood cover as an item for full barrier protection against COVID-19 transmission. Technical Description: The Coronavirus Airway Task Force at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center approved this initiative and went live with the full barrier suit during the last week of March 2020. The PPE described in this report includes a Stryker T4 Hood, normally used in conjunction with the Stryker Steri-Shield T4 Helmet. Instead of the helmet, the hood is secured to the head via a baseball cap and binder clip. This head covering apparatus is to be used as an accessory to other PPE items that include an N95 mask, waterproof gown, and disposable gloves. The motor ventilation system is not used in order to prevent airborne viral entry into the hood. Discussion: An advantage of the full barrier suit is an additional layer of droplet protection during intubation. The most notable disadvantage is the absence of a ventilation system within the hood covering. Conclusion: Modification of existing PPE may provide protection for health care workers during high-risk aerosolizing procedures such as endotracheal intubation. Although the integration of this medical equipment meets the immediate needs of an escalating crisis, further innovation is on the horizon. More research is needed to confirm the safety of modified PPE.

scholarly journals Scientific Collaboration During the COVID-19 Pandemic: N95DECON.org

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 775-777
Author(s):  
David Rempel
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Scientific Collaboration ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Collaborative Groups ◽  
Spontaneous Formation ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
On Line ◽  
Scientific Questions

Abstract Many academics and researchers have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by forming on-line national and international collaborative groups to rapidly investigate issues of prevention and treatment. This commentary describes the spontaneous formation of an international team of 115 researchers who summarized the literature on safe methods for decontaminating N95 filtering facepiece respirators in response to the supply crisis. The summary reports and fact sheets on the (www.n95decon.org) website have had more than 200 000 unique visits and the organization’s webinars have reached health care professionals from more than 50 countries. The team is extending its mission to cover other personal protective equipment. The success of these collaborations may alter how scientific questions are tackled in the future.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitude and preventive practices regarding tuberculosis care and control among health care professionals at TB centres: implications for TB control efforts

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 2318
Author(s):  
K. M. Jaiswal ◽  
Lohit S. Vaishnao ◽  
Sujata Dudhgaonkar ◽  
Latesh Raghte ◽  
Mahek S. Kewalramani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Traditional Medicine ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
World Health ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Paramedical Staff ◽  
And Control

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) ranks as the leading cause of death from infectious disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) has considered TB a global public health disaster since 1993. Four factors affect non-adherence to treatment-the patient, healthcare systems, pharmaco-therapeutics and the key persons, health care professional (HCP). So, the study was conducted to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding TB care and control in HCPs working in TB units.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational, questionnaire-based study conducted in all the HCPs working for the TB care and control.Results: The responses to the questions of knowledge were variable indicating incompleteness of information, facts, understanding related to TB in HCPs. HCPs show very strong positive attitude for finding every new case of TB is essential. The HCPs disagree to some statements like traditional or alternative medicine assists in wellbeing of TB patients. Practice competency was low with average score 2.32 out of 6, doctors having higher score of 4.62 followed by nurses, lab-technicians, pharmacist and activist with score of 2.57, 1.66, 1.5, 1.25 respectively.  The activist are the key persons in the national tuberculosis program, exhibited the least score in this study indicates they do not have much orientation about the practice of TB treatment. Specific deficiencies existed for some knowledge statements of HCWs on TB. There was disagreement in attitudes regarding stigma and traditional medicine, and practice competencies were poor. Improvement in aspect of KAP of HCPs on TB will help India achieve the goal of End TB.Conclusions: Specific deficiencies existed for some knowledge statements of TB in paramedical staff as compared to doctor participants. There was disagreement in attitudes regarding stigma and traditional medicine, and practice competencies were poor in activists. Improvement in knowledge, attitude and practices of TB in paramedical staff by conducting CME, Workshop, training sessions will help India to achieve the goal of End TB.

scholarly journals Use of medical face masks versus particulate respirators as a component of personal protective equipment for health care workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Conly ◽  
◽  
W. H. Seto ◽  
Didier Pittet ◽  
Alison Holmes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Contact Mode ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Currently available evidence supports that the predominant route of human-to-human transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 is through respiratory droplets and/or contact routes. The report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China supports person-to-person droplet and fomite transmission during close unprotected contact with the vast majority of the investigated infection clusters occurring within families, with a household secondary attack rate varying between 3 and 10%, a finding that is not consistent with airborne transmission. The reproduction number (R0) for the SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be between 2.2–2.7, compatible with other respiratory viruses associated with a droplet/contact mode of transmission and very different than an airborne virus like measles with a R0 widely cited to be between 12 and 18. Based on the scientific evidence accumulated to date, our view is that SARS-CoV-2 is not spread by the airborne route  to  any significant extent and the use of particulate respirators offers no advantage over medical masks as a component of personal protective equipment for the routine care of patients with COVID-19 in the health care setting. Moreover, prolonged use of particulate respirators may result in unintended harms. In conjunction with appropriate hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) used by health care workers caring for patients with COVID-19 must be used with attention to detail and precision of execution to prevent lapses in adherence and active failures in the donning and doffing of the PPE.

Attitude and Practices of Health Care Professionals and Their Family Members toward Health Care Professionals Dealing with Covid-19 Patients in New Delhi, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (30) ◽  
pp. 2249-2254
Author(s):  
Shruti Chopra ◽  
Sabreen Gujral ◽  
Shweta Sood ◽  
Naresh Sharma ◽  
Akshara Singh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Family Members ◽  
World Health ◽  
Initial Reaction ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
First Case

BACKGROUND Coronavirus was noticed in the mid-1930’s and the first case of infection in humans was reported as a cold in 1960. In December 2019, clusters of pneumonia cases caused havoc in China. In order to eliminate the infection in the current pandemic, World Health Organisation (WHO) has furnished several recommendations, online courses, and training sessions to increase knowledge, prevention, and control among the health care workers (HCWs). It is crucial to guarantee the safety of not only the health care professionals but also the people who are in close contact with them. We wanted to assess the attitude and safety practices of family members of health care professionals dealing with Covid-19 patients and if the increasing number of cases in India have altered their reaction. METHODS A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted from July - August 2020 on HCWs dealing with Covid-19 patients and any close contact personnel such as family members of HCWs in order to avoid the spread of Covid-19 among individuals aged 14 - 60 years. RESULTS A total of 368 respondents participated in the study. Majority of the respondents had a positive attitude. In terms of relation, children had a negative attitude towards having their family member deal with Covid-19 patients (46.2 %; N = 46) whereas, 51.5 % (N = 35) spouses had a more positive outlook and 49.2 % (N = 181) respondents reported that the increasing cases in India had altered their initial reaction. CONCLUSIONS Majority of the participants from our study reported a positive attitude towards a family member working in close contact with a Covid-19 patient. More than 50 % of the participants had undertaken various precautions to restrict the spread of the disease. KEY WORDS Health Personnel, Infectious Disease Transmission, Pandemic, Preventive Practices, Relatives

scholarly journals Protecting health care workers from COVID-19: implementing a training programme on personal protective equipment, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assad Hafeez ◽  
Ramesh Kumar ◽  
Ikhlaq Ahmed ◽  
Zaeem ul Haq
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Care Programme ◽  
Care Workers

Background: Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, with support from the World Health Organization, developed and implemented the “We Care” programme to protect frontline health care workers engaged in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response. Aims: This paper reports on the training part of the programme which aimed to train 100 000 frontline health care workers on the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and on the lessons learnt from implementation of the training. Methods: A team of experts developed the curriculum and its accompanying material. Initial training was given to deans of all participating institutions and to master trainers from each university. Staff of all public and private hospitals enrolled in the training and other frontline health care workers were invited to register individually. Four types of educational material were produced: a guidance booklet, a training video, a set of PowerPoint presentations to explain the PPE and their use, and a poster. Results: A total of 2000 training sessions were conducted across the country from May to December 2020 and 100 000 frontline health care workers were trained on the use of PPE. Of those trained, 25% were doctors, 35% were nurses and paramedics and 40% were allied health staff, with an almost equal gender distribution. Conclusions: With limited resources and in a short amount of time, the We Care programme trained a large number of frontline health care workers, which enhanced their safety and also reduced the irrational use of PPE.

Knowledge & Usage of Personal Protective Equipment for Prevention of Infection Among Frontline Health Care Workers During Covid – 19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 3299-3304
Author(s):  
Nosheen Mahmood ◽  
Saima Aamir ◽  
Humera Akhlaq ◽  
Isma Sajjad ◽  
Sajid Hanif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Protective Gear ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Recent Emergence

Background: The risk of transmission of novel SARS CoronaVirus-2 among health care workers can be reduced using personal protective equipment. It is critical to follow guidelines for appropriate use of protective gear to avoid its wastage. This study aimed to evaluate frontline healthcare workers’ understanding of effective donning and doffing of protective equipment in the wake of recent emergence of corona virus disease.Physical impacts due to its prolonged usage were also identified. Material and Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted targeting frontline health care workers from June till July 2021. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24. Descriptive analysis was performed for qualitative variables.Chi-square test was utilized to determine association between qualitative variables and p <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 204 responses were received. Surgical masks (53.9%), gloves (51.5%), gowns (46.1%) and N95 respirator (40.7%) were most frequently used. Physicians had better knowledge on correct utilization of protective equipment as compared to non-physicians, p<0.001.Only 55.9% and 47.1% participants knew correct donning and doffing sequence respectively.The most prevalent mistakes while doffingwere touching front of mask and potentially contaminated surfaces followed by incorrect doffing sequence.Mostrespondentsmentioned scarcity of protective gear. Around 53% participants did not attend any training session on utilization of personal protective equipment. Prolonged exposure to masks and gloves led to acne, facial marks and itching. Frequent practice of hand hygiene was linked with skin dryness and cracking, p<0.001. Conclusion: We observed lack of expertise in donning and doffing technique. Mostly mistakes occurred during doffing, so interactive workshops are required to train health care workers.Most common dermatological manifestationsdue to use of masks and gloves included acne, facial markings, and itching. Adverse effects of prolonged use of PPE can be avoided by having shorter duration of working hours and giving rest during the shifts. Keywords: COVID-19; personal protective equipment; skin manifestation; pandemics.

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