Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Compliance with Contact- and Droplet-precaution Measures in Siriraj Hospital’s Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Ward Nurses

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal medical discipline toward infection preventive measures.Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire on personal preventive measure was developed. The content of the questionnaire was reviewed by content experts and tested for internal consistency reliability. Nurses in the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics wards were invited to answer the questionnaire.Results: In total, 188 individuals were included. Sixty-five percent of the protective measure statements showed a statistical improvement in compliance during the pandemic. Most of the protective measures, including hand washing, wearing a mask, and wearing glasses or a face shield, were statistically more complied with during the pandemic. However, some important protective measures, such as wearing a mask when performing aerosolgenerating procedures or when in close contact with droplet-precaution patients, did not show a statistically significant increase in compliance during the pandemic. There was no significant correlation between the demographic data and compliance level. The main reasons for non-compliance were time constraints, thought that the measures are not important, and equipment inadequacy.Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was some improvement in compliance with contact- and dropletprecaution measures in Siriraj Hospital’s Medicine and Pediatrics wards, but compliance with measures against some high-risk procedures that can spread the infection, such as aerosol generation or contacting with droplets, were not followed properly. The importance of precaution measures should be emphasized and the adequacy of protectiveequipment should be addressed to reduce the risk of spreading infection to healthcare workers and other patients.