Appropriate use of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers in public sector hospitals and primary healthcare polyclinics during the SARS outbreak in Singapore

Autor: Feng Qian, Vivian Ng, Calvin S.L. Fones, Meng-Kin Lim, W M Chew, David Koh, B H Tan, Winston Yong Meng Ng, Sin Eng Chia, Sabu Emmanuel, H K Tang, Ngan Phoon Fong, Gerald Choon-Huat Koh, Kok Seng Wong, Z Muttakin
Rok vydání: 2005
Předmět:
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Infectious Disease Transmission
Patient-to-Professional
Attitude of Health Personnel
education
macromolecular substances
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Disease Outbreaks
Patient Isolation
Occupational medicine
Protective Clothing
Surveys and Questionnaires
Intensive care
Health care
Medical Staff
medicine
Humans
Infection control
skin and connective tissue diseases
Intensive care medicine
Personal protective equipment
Infection Control
Singapore
Primary Health Care
Hospitals
Public
business.industry
fungi
Public sector
Administrative Personnel
Masks
Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Questionnaire
body regions
Surgical mask
Logistic Models
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus
Family medicine
Original Article
Female
Nursing Staff
business
Zdroj: Occupational and Environmental Medicine
ISSN: 1351-0711
DOI: 10.1136/oem.2004.015024
Popis: Background: Singapore was affected by an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from 25 February to 31 May 2003, with 238 probable cases and 33 deaths. Aims: To study usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) among three groups of healthcare workers (HCWs: doctors, nurses, and administrative staff), to determine if the appropriate PPE were used by the different groups and to examine the factors that may determine inappropriate use. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey of 14 554 HCWs in nine healthcare settings, which included tertiary care hospitals, community hospitals, and polyclinics, was carried out in May–July 2003. Only doctors, nurses, and clerical staff were selected for subsequent analysis. Results: A total of 10 236 valid questionnaires were returned (70.3% response); 873 doctors, 4404 nurses, and 921 clerical staff were studied. A total of 32.5% of doctors, 48.7% of nurses, and 77.1% of the administrative staff agreed that paper and/or surgical masks were "useful in protecting from contracting SARS". Among this group, 23.6% of doctors and 42.3% of nurses reported working with SARS patients. The view that a paper and/or surgical mask was adequate protection against SARS was held by 33.3% of doctors and 55.9% of nurses working at the A&E unit, 30.5% of doctors and 49.4% of nurses from medical wards, and 27.5% of doctors and 37.1% of nurses from intensive care units. Factors which predicted for agreement that paper and/or surgical masks were protective against SARS, included HCW's job title, reported contact with SARS patients, area of work, and Impact Events Scale scores. Conclusion: A variety of factors determine appropriate use of personal protective equipment by HCWs in the face of a major SARS outbreak.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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