Abstract
Introduction: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has prompted concern about the compatibility of IPC guidelines with health care workers, their working practices and behaviours. These guidelines can be difficult and time-consuming to adhere to in practice. By identifying barriers and facilitators to IPC guideline adherence, especially using personal protective equipment (PPE), we can identify focussed strategies that will support health care workers to undertake the IPC measures needed at such a critical time in health care internationally. Material & Methods: This was a cross-sectional study designed during the COVID-19 pandemic management in the South Gujarat region, to analyse the knowledge, attitude and practices of health care workers about their usage of personal protective equipment. A semi-structured questionnaire-based study was prepared, deriving pointers from our previous experience of seasonal flu outbreaks. 225 participants enrolled who were doctors, resident doctors, nurses, lab technicians, ward boys and food distributors. Result: Analysis of the barriers-related questions show good preparedness by the medical institution. Overall we found good knowledge, attitude and practice related to PPE during COVID-19 pandemic management. There are few gaps found in the knowledge of donning of PPE (p-0.0075), N-95 mask related knowledge (p-0.01) and the attitude that PPE use causes discomfort while nursing patients (0.0001).
Highlights
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has prompted concern about the compatibility of IPC guidelines with health care workers, their working practices and behaviours
By identifying barriers and facilitators to IPC guideline adherence, especially using personal protective equipment (PPE), we can identify focussed strategies that will support health care workers to undertake the IPC measures needed at such a critical time in health care internationally
Material & Methods: This was a cross-sectional study designed during the COVID-19 pandemic management in the South Gujarat region, to analyse the knowledge, attitude and practices of health care workers about their usage of personal protective equipment
Summary
Personal protective equipment helps prevent the spread of germs in the hospital. PPE is used in healthcare settings to create a barrier between health care workers and infectious agents from the patients, sometimes be used by the patient’s family/visitors if providing direct patient care or assisting patients in their routine. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has prompted concern about the compatibility of IPC guidelines with health care workers; working practices and behaviours. Strategies in these guidelines include the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, face shields, gloves and gowns; the separation of patients with respiratory infections from others, and strict cleaning routines [1]. These strategies can be difficult and time-consuming to adhere to in practice.
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