Effectiveness of Personal Protective Equipment and Isolation Precautions in Protecting Healthcare Workers from Acquiring Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Abstract
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was notable for its transmission within healthcare facilities, and in particular for infecting healthcare workers (HCWs) who provided direct patient care. This paper focuses on assessing the risk factors related to HCWs acquiring SARS and the effectiveness of infection control measures in protecting HCWs from disease transmission while caring for SARS infected patients. Risk factors associated with SARS transmission include contact with respiratory secretions, exposure to aerosol generating procedures, duration of exposure to SARS patients, duration of infection control training, and perceived inadequacy of personal protective equipment supply. Protective factors associated with SARS transmission include wearing of a mask and hand hygiene. In order to improve hospital preparedness for possible future disease outbreaks, efforts in enhancing infection control training must be a priority. Standardizing and improving the quality of research conducted in the face of a disease outbreak is another area deserving of attention.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 21, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA436244
Entities
People
- Robert A. Nyquist
Organizations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill