Hospital Visitors Research Articles

COVID-Related Visitor Restrictions and Childbirth Experiences in One US Hospital.

The objective of this study was to explore childbirth experiences during COVID-19 visitor restrictions. We used a descriptive phenomenological approach in our study, which took place in a postpartum unit at a level IV birthing hospital in the Mideastern United States, where 3617 births occurred in 2019. A total of 22 participants who were older than 18 years, who gave birth at 37 weeks gestation or more, and who had at least 1 birth experience in the United States prior to the COVID-19 pandemic participated in this study. We assessed participants' birth experiences before and during COVID-19 visitor restrictions through in-depth interviews. Participant perspectives revealed the following 6 themes after an iterative analysis: A Shared Personal Connection is a Valued Trait, A Female Support Person is Important, Nurses Went the Extra Mile, Support People Help with Decision-Making, Two is an Ideal Number of Support People, and Increased Psychological Burden. These findings are vital to inform hospital visitor policies moving forward in the endemic reality of COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementing healthy food policies in health sector settings: New Zealand stakeholder perspectives

BackgroundIn 2016, a voluntary National Healthy Food and Drink Policy was released to improve the healthiness of food and drinks for sale in New Zealand health sector organisations. The Policy aims to role model healthy eating and demonstrate commitment to health and well-being of hospital staff and visitors and the general public. This study aimed to understand the experiences of hospital food providers and public health dietitians/staff in implementing the Policy, and identify tools and resources needed to assist with the implementation.MethodsA maximum variation purposive sampling strategy (based on a health district’s population size and food outlet type) was used to recruit participants by email. Video conference or email semi-structured interviews included 15 open-ended questions that focused on awareness, understanding of, and attitudes towards the Policy; level of support received; perceived customer response; tools and resources needed to support implementation; and unintended or unforeseen consequences. Data was analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach.ResultsTwelve participants (eight food providers and four public health dietitians/staff) were interviewed; three from small (< 100,000 people), four from medium (100,000-300,000 people) and five from large (> 300,000 people) health districts. There was agreement that hospitals should role model healthy eating for the wider community. Three themes were identified relating to the implementation of the Policy: (1) Complexities of operating food outlets under a healthy food and drink policy in public health sector settings; (2) Adoption, implementation, and monitoring of the Policy as a series of incoherent ad-hoc actions; and (3) Policy is (currently) not achieving the desired impact. Concerns about increased food waste, loss of profits and an uneven playing field between food providers were related to the voluntary nature of the unsupported Policy. Three tools could enable implementation: a digital monitoring tool, a web-based database of compliant products, and customer communication materials.ConclusionsAdopting a single, mandatory Policy, provision of funding for implementation actions and supportive tools, and good communication with customers could facilitate implementation. Despite the relatively small sample size and views from only two stakeholder groups, strategies identified are relevant to policy makers, healthcare providers and public health professionals.

Development of Risk Management Information System (SIMRISK) for Prevention and Monitoring of Work Safety in Hospital

&lt;div&gt;&lt;table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left" valign="top"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Risk management in hospitals must be implemented to minimize risks that threaten the occupational safety and health of hospital human resources, patients, patient companions and hospital visitors, Hospital management has difficulty in collecting information, delays in reporting, inaccurate and incomplete data, difficulty storing data, difficulty in accessing data and manual reporting and recording are some of the problems in the current risk management information system. The research objective is to develop a risk management information system to assist in reporting and recording risk management, work accidents, hazardous and toxic material inventory and occupational disease. The research method is qualitative with a research and development design, the information system development method uses the waterfall method with the stage needs analysis, system design, implementation system and verification system. the results of this study found that there are problems in collecting, tracking, analyzing and following up on decision making. Needs analysis to development of risk management information system with features that facilitate data input, speed up the report process start with the flow of occupational health safety responsible officer to making reports and verified by doctors and occupational health and safety committees, producing output risk management reports, work accident reports, hazardous and materials inventory reports and occupational illness reports. The conclusion of this study is that risk management information system has a positive impact on data processing related to safety and health so that the data is available to be used as a basis for decision making and determining OHS priorities in hospitals&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keyword: Accident, Illness, Hazardous, Hospital, Toxic material&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;

Profile and predictors of outcome for code blue cases in a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore

Back ground Code Blue is a common emergency code used in cases of cardiac arrest in hospitals to alert trained emergency response teams. The use of codes is mainly to convey essential information quickly to staff while preventing misunderstandings and panic among hospital visitors. This study aimed to determine the profiles and outcomes of patients with activated code blue calls. Methods This retrospective record-based study included all patients who had a code blue declared in the year 2022. Data was collected from the patient files from medical records department and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results A total of 86 code blue calls were analyzed in this study. In terms of age distribution, the age group 60-80 years had the highest percentage of code blue cases. Code blue cases were more announced in males in the study (55.8%). For the announced code blue cases, it was identified that CPR if initiated by the staff on scene before the arrival of the code blue team had higher survival chance (60.0%). Asystole was the most common rhythm detected initially (66.3%) upon arrival of the code blue team. It was found that if the response time was lesser than 2 min, the patients had a higher chance of survival (53.3%). Conclusions In conclusion, CPR performed by a trained code blue team in a hospital can help improve outcomes. The initiation of bystander CPR has been proven to have favorable outcomes. Better training of staff can result in better outcomes.

Non-compliance of Hospital X Employee in Implementing Standard Operational Procedures of Instrument Decontamination and Chest X-Ray Services

Good hospital management is important to maintain the safety of patients, staff and hospital visitors. Each hospital employee responsible for patient safety by carrying out work according Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines agreed by organization. This study aims to identify the casues factors and the solution for hospital employees to not comply with the SOP. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach. Methods of data collection by conducting direct observation and interviews. Subjects in the study were determined based on purposive sampling, as many as 8 respondents consisting of the inpatient room's head, nurses and radiology officers. It is important to apply a system approach in the management of an organization. The elements included in the systems approach are planning, organizing, actuating and controlling. From those elements, there are things that not properly carried in the hospital. The existing procedures were not followed by the employees, for example, procedures regarding instrument decontamination in the inpatient room and photo reading at the radiology service. Non-compliance with this procedure is influenced by several factors, namely the staff lack of discipline and responsibility, inappropriate procedures, facilities that are not available, and there is no socialization of the procedure to hospital employees. The non-compliance of employees at X hospital was caused by procedural factors, decontamination and radiology officer's performance factors and hospital's facilities. For this reason, it is necessary to conduct periodic outreach, monitoring and evaluation of the SOP and hospital employees to improve the quality of hospital services and customer satisfaction.

Managing Shifting Visitor Restrictions in Hospitals during the COVID-19 Pandemic from National Authority Level to Charge Nurses’ Practice: A Descriptive Study

Introduction. Little is known about how shifting hospital visitor restrictions issued by national health authorities were communicated, managed, and adapted by hospital charge nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims. To describe the shifting visitor restrictions and the passing on of restrictions from the national authority level to charge nurses and secondly describe charge nurses’ management of the restrictions and their challenges when enforcing them. Methods. The study consisted of a document analysis and a cross-sectional survey including open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used. The survey was distributed online to 88 charge nurses in somatic units in a Danish university hospital from March 2020 to April 2021. Results. Restrictions were communicated from national authority level in an effective administrative cascade. The charge nurses led their enforcement in each unit. In total, 71 charge nurses (81%) responded to the survey. For 70%, the wording of the restrictions was clear, while 31% found them challenging to handle. On a weekly or daily basis, 68% of the charge nurses deviated from the restrictions. They identified both upsides and downsides to the absence of relatives. Communication, collaboration, and leadership were experienced as key tools in the ongoing processes of adapting to shifting restrictions. Conclusion. During this severe health crisis, essential information was passed on through well-defined management levels in an effective communication pathway. Charge nurses and their professional values were challenged when balancing shifting national restrictions against individual needs of patients and relatives. Implications for Nursing Management. Charge nurses serve as vital intermediaries between national authorities and frontline nursing practice in managing shifting visitor restrictions during a pandemic. Their experiences can contribute to further qualifying nurse managers’ considerations when designing family-centred hospital visitor policies for the future. Also, they may strengthen the handling of future sudden major organizational changes.

Practice variation in surgical treatment for lumbar degenerative disc disease: exploring regional and hospital factors influencing surgical rates

The presence of significant, unwarranted variation in treatment suggests that clinical decision making also depends on where patients live instead of what they need and prefer. Historically, high practice variation in surgical treatment for lumbar degenerative disc disease (LDDD) has been documented. This study aimed to investigate current regional variation in surgical treatment for sciatica resulting from LDDD. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of all Dutch adults (>18 years) between 2016 and 2019. Demographic data from Statistics Netherlands were merged with a nationwide claims database, covering over 99% of the population. Inclusion criteria comprised LDDD diagnosis codes and relevant surgical codes. Practice variation was assessed at the level of postal code areas and hospital service areas (HSAs). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify variables associated with surgical treatment. Among the 119,148 hospital visitors with LDDD, 14,840 underwent surgical treatment. Practice variation for laminectomies and discectomies showed less than two-fold variation in both postal code and HSAs. However, instrumented fusion surgery demonstrated a five-fold variation in postal code areas and three-fold variation in HSAs. Predictors of receiving surgical treatment included opioid prescription and patient referral status. Gender differences were observed, with males more likely to undergo laminectomy or discectomy, and females more likely to receive instrumented fusion surgery. Our study revealed low variation rates for discectomies and laminectomies, while indicating a high variation rate for instrumented fusion surgery in LDDD patients. High-quality research is needed on the extent of guideline implementation and its influence on practice variation.

PREVENTION COMPLIANCE FACTOR ANALYSIS AND CONTROL OF NOSOCOMIAL INFECTIONS IN HOSPITALS

Nosocomial infections were infections that occurred in the hospital environment. A person was said to have a nosocomial infection if the infection occurred while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Nosocomial infections could occur in patients, nurses, doctors, and hospital workers or visitors. To prevent nosocomial infections, namely stopping the transmission method by increasing staff compliance and equipment maintenance procedures, decontamination, cleaning, and sterilization of the tools used, or high-level disinfection had to be considered before the equipment was used to carry out maintenance actions. If a nosocomial infection occurred, it impacted the length of treatment days due to comorbidities during hospitalization. Nosocomial infections had to be avoided and prevented in patient care in hospitals with a target of zero cases, one of the efforts was through staff compliance. Considering the risk of nosocomial infections, a compliance review of care workers was carried out. This study aimed to analyze compliance with the prevention and control of nosocomial infections in one hospital in West Nusa Tenggara Province. The method in this research was quantitative survey research with a cross-sectional approach. The research population was all nurses who worked in inpatient treatment rooms. By using a simple random sampling technique, a large sample of 50 nurses was obtained in this study. Chi-Square and Logistic Regression analysis were conducted using SPSS. The research results showed that there was a significant relationship between the factors education, knowledge, supervision, infrastructure, and management support on officer compliance. The dominant factor was found in the availability of infrastructure.

Comfort Value Of Kartika Sukabumi Hospital Lobby

The comfort of the hospital lobby is very influential in ensuring that health services in the hospital run optimally. Comfortable lobby conditions can reduce anxiety when patients have to wait their turn to be examined or wait for medicine from the pharmacy. Apart from that, the comfortable lobby creates optimism for recovery for patients and their families, including medical personnel who work at the hospital. This research aims to measure how significant the influence of room comfort, thermal comfort, visual comfort and audio comfort is on the comfort of the lobby room seen from the architectural design of the room. The benefits of the research enrich the results of previous research that building comfort variables influence the dynamics of perceptions of physical comfort. The research uses quantitative methods and data collection techniques are carried out by direct observation and questionnaires that are distributed to hospital visitors, managers, medical teams and patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive quantitative methods to assess the comfort level of the hospital lobby. From the results of this research, it is concluded that the aspect of freedom of movement has the greatest influence on the comfort level of the lobby space, so it must be taken into consideration when designing a hospital lobby that is comfortable for visitors.

Addressing knowledge gaps in allergies among Syrian hospital patients: a cross-sectional study

Allergies have a significant impact on health and quality of life worldwide, yet there is limited research on the awareness and knowledge of allergies. This study aimed to explore the level of awareness and knowledge of allergies among visitors in Syrian hospitals. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and September 2022, and a standardized international questionnaire was administered to 504 visitors in three hospitals in Syria. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) version 23. The final sample comprised 504 questionnaires with 61.7% of participants achieving an average score. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in knowledge of allergy scores between the group with only elementary education (M = 3.76, SD = 1.67, p = 0.011), the group with no education (M = 3.65, SD = 1.65, p = 0.006), and the group with a university education (M = 4.44, SD = 1.25). Notably, no significant differences were found between the other educational groups. A one-way ANOVA was employed to assess the effect of place of living on knowledge of allergy, but no significant differences were observed between the groups (p = 0.462). Lastly, a significant negative correlation was detected between participant age and knowledge of allergy scores (r(502) = − 0.102, p = 0.022). Allergies represent a substantial global health concern that demands attention from healthcare providers, policymakers, and the public. This study emphasizes the importance of investing in health education and awareness campaigns to enhance knowledge and comprehension of allergies, particularly individuals with lower levels of education levels. By equipping individuals with the requisite information to effectively manage their allergies, their overall health and wellbeing can be improved.

Rapid weather changes are associated with daily hospital visitors for atrial fibrillation accompanied by abnormal ECG repolarization: a case-crossover study

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent in the population, yet the factors contributing to AF events in susceptible individuals remain partially understood. The potential relationship between meteorological factors and AF, particularly with abnormal electrocardiograph (ECG) repolarization, has not been adequately studied. This case-crossover study aims to investigate the association between meteorological factors and daily hospital visits for AF with abnormal ECG repolarization in Shanghai, China.MethodsThe study cohort comprised 10,325 patients with ECG-confirmed AF who sought treatment at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital between 2015 and 2018. Meteorological and air pollutant concentration data were matched with the patient records. Using a case-crossover design, we analyzed the association between meteorological factors and the daily count of hospital visitors for AF with abnormal ECG repolarization at our AF center. Lag analysis models were applied to examine the temporal relationship between meteorological factors and AF events.ResultsThe analysis revealed statistically significant associations between AF occurrence and specific meteorological factors. AF events were significantly associated with average atmospheric pressure (lag 0 day, OR 0.9901, 95% CI 0.9825–0.9977, P < 0.05), average temperature (lag 1 day, OR 0.9890, 95% CI 0.9789–0.9992, P < 0.05), daily pressure range (lag 7 days, OR 1.0195, 95% CI 1.0079–1.0312, P < 0.01), and daily temperature range (lag 5 days, OR 1.0208, 95% CI 1.0087–1.0331, P < 0.01). Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between daily pressure range and daily temperature range with AF patients, particularly those with abnormal ECG repolarization, as evident in the case-crossover analysis.ConclusionThis study highlights a significant correlation between meteorological factors and daily hospital visits for AF accompanied by abnormal ECG repolarization in Shanghai, China. In addition, AF patients with abnormal ECG repolarization were found to be more vulnerable to rapid daily changes in pressure and temperature compared to AF patients without such repolarization abnormalities.

CBRN Hazard Management in Malaysian Healthcare: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Practice

The occurrence and intensity of both natural and human-made disasters are bound to increase, posing significant risks to humanity. In Malaysia’s healthcare setting, a variety of procedures and practices for managing safety, health, and emergency management are implemented to ensure the comfort and protection of hospital personnel, patients, and visitors. The presence of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards pose a grave risk to the health and well-being of healthcare personnel in Malaysia. The aim of this review article is to draw attention to practical implications and provide a thorough summary of the literature on CBRN hazard management in Malaysian healthcare.

Analysis of the Influence of Accountability, Transparency and Supervision on the Public Service Performance of RSUD TC Hillers Maumere

This research aims to 1)describe the variables of accountability, transparency, supervision and public service performance of RSUD TC Hillers. 2) analyze the influence of accountability and transparency as well as supervision on the performance of public service of RSUD TC Hillers. 3) analyze the variables that have a dominant influence among the variables of accountability and transparency as well as supervision on the performance of public service of RSUD TC Hillers. The sample in this study was 60 hospital visitors. The data analysis technique in this study used multiple linear regression analysis. The results of the study showed that accountability, transparency, and supervision simultaneously influenced the performance of public service. Accountability, transparency and supervision partially influenced the performance of public service and supervision had a dominant influence on the performance of public service of RSUD TC Hillers Maumere.

Assessment of over-the-counter medication use among pregnant women visiting public and private tertiary hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are considered safe when used as directed agents and are widely used for self-medication due to their accessibility and affordability. However, self-medication during pregnancy can lead to irrational drug use and potential complications. This study aimed to assess the use of OTC medicines among pregnant women visiting public and private tertiary care hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted over three months in 2023 involving 170 pregnant women at public hospitals and 155 at private hospitals. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Familiarity with OTC medications was greater among pregnant women visiting public hospitals (56.50%, p = 0.036) than among those visiting private hospitals (54.40%). Most women from public hospitals perceived all OTC drugs as safe during pregnancy (64.20%, p = 0.009). The perceived critical period for drug use varied, with more pregnant women in private hospitals identifying the first trimester as critical (58.82%, p = 0.002), while the third trimester was more commonly perceived as critical by public hospital visitors (62.50%). The use of OTC medication before and during pregnancy was similar between groups (p &gt; 0.05). A significant difference was observed in reading OTC medicine leaflets, with more private hospital visitors reading them (60.98%, p &lt; 0.001). This study concluded that the proportion of OTC medicine use among pregnant women visiting public and private healthcare facilities in Lahore is moderately high. There were notable differences in the sociodemographic characteristics and perceptions of OTC medication safety. Public hospital visitors were more familiar with OTC medications and believed in their safety during pregnancy, while private hospital visitors were more concerned about the first trimester and more likely to read OTC medicine leaflets. These findings highlight the need for targeted education and counseling to promote safe OTC medication practices among pregnant women.

The Use Of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Masks For Visitors At DR Kariadi Hospital Semarang In The Next Normal Era

Hospitals are complex health care facilities and provide health care services aimed at improving the health of patients or clients and maintaining the health of hospital visitors. Visitors play a role in the transmission of diseases, particularly the Covid-19 virus, if they do not wear PPE masks when in contact with patients. The purpose of the study was to determine and understand the use of PPE masks for visitors at Dr Kariadi Hospital Semarang in the Next Normal Era. The method used is descriptive qualitative research method with data explanation analysis method. This research data collection method uses semi-structured interviews. Participants in this study were selected using purposive technique. The total number of participants was four, the participants were doctors, nurses and visitors. The findings of this study, the four participants said that visitors at Dr Kariadi Hospital Semarang wear PPE masks when someone is supervising and visitors' awareness of wearing PPE masks is influenced by age, knowledge and education factors.

Penerapan Sistem Manajemen Keselamatan Dan Kesehatan Kerja Di RSUD Kota Makassar

The workplace is where tasks are carried out to produce goods and services. The implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) programs in a company can support the improvement of workforce productivity, thereby yielding benefits automatically. The research population consisted of 737 individuals, namely all employees registered as hospital staff, while the research sample consisted of 10 individuals who have authority in implementing the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) at the Hospital in Makassar City. The research was conducted using qualitative survey methods through purposive sampling. Data were collected through interviews and direct observations. The results of this research examined commitments and policies, planning, organizing, and implementing OHS at the Hospital in Makassar City. Commitments and policies from leadership regarding OHS implementation already exist and are documented, but they have not been effectively socialized to all elements in the hospital. OHS planning at the Hospital in Makassar City has been conducted before program formulation, including data collection and priority setting. Organizing is done by forming the PK3RS organization. OHS implementation is carried out in the form of training, socialization, and provision of personal protective equipment, but still in very minimal quantities. Evaluation and review have not been carried out because the implementation of OHS at the Hospital in Makassar City has only been running for about 6 months. Recommendations for management include strengthening commitments to improve PK3RS performance, ensuring the provision of qualified PK3RS personnel, and communicating OHS to all levels of management, employees, patients, and hospital visitors.

Analysis of Nurse Ability In Preventing Nosocomial Infections on the 6b Floor Using the Nvivo Method

Nosocomial infection is an infection originating from a hospital caused by hospital staff or health workers during the health service process or hospital visitors. The background of this research is the lack of role of nurses in the process of preventing nosocomial infections. The purpose of this study was to explain the role of nurses in preventing nosocomial infections at RSU Royal Prima. This type of research uses a qualitative approach method with in-depth interviews with informants in order to know clearly and in depth the role of nurses in preventing nosocomial infections at RSU Royal Prima. The results showed that nurses already know their role in terms of reporting to the doctor if there are signs and symptoms of infection and implementing isolation of infectious diseases and maintaining prevention while on duty at the hospital. However, there are still nurses who do not know their role optimally in terms of maintaining hospital cleanliness. In maintaining hand hygiene, nurses only know their role in terms of washing hands, the implementation is not in accordance with procedures. In using Personal Protective Equipment, nurses know their role in terms of wearing masks and gloves, but in practice there are still nurses who have not used Personal Protective Equipment according to standards. In addition, there are obstacles for nurses in preventing nosocomial infections such as inadequate infrastructure

Experience of Pregnant Mothers in Receiving Ante Natal Care Services in Hospital

ABSTRACT Antenatal care services for pregnant women are health services received by mothers during pregnancy to determine the health condition of the mother and fetus. To determine the experience of pregnant women in receiving services at the hospital. This research method is qualitative phenomenology, data collection is carried out in natural settings with participant observation techniques and in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed with the Colaizzi method. Among mothers as hospital visitors, 3 themes were found, namely 1) Utilization of technology in antenatal care services for pregnant women in hospitals, 2) Effective communication with pregnant women as customers in hospitals, 3) Educational literacy for mothers pregnant antenatal care in health services in hospitals. Among health workers as stewards of antenatal care, two themes were found, namely: 1) the use of technology as a means of educational media, and 2) the expectations of health workers in providing services for pregnant women. The use of technology in the form of educational facilities is very important for pregnant women, especially during the antenatal care period, this is useful to help reduce the incidence of complications in the mother and fetus based on health technology monitoring. The involvement of health workers including doctors, nurses, and midwives is a determining factor for success in service excellence in 5 standard policies, namely police, place, product, process, and people in the hospital.

Responding to avian influenza A H5N1 detection on a hospital property in Maine-An interdisciplinary approach.

The risk of infection with avian influenza A viruses currently circulating in wild and domestic birds in the Americas is considered low for the general public; however, detections in humans have been reported and warning signs of increased zoonotic potential have been identified. In December 2022, two Canada geese residing on the grounds of an urban hospital in Maine tested positive for influenza A H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b. Given the opportunity for exposure to staff and hospital visitors through potentially infected faeces on the property, public health authorities determined mitigation efforts were needed to prevent the spread of disease. The ensuing response relied on collaboration between the public health and animal health agencies to guide the hospital through efforts in preventing possible zoonotic transmission to humans. Mitigation efforts included staff communication and education, environmental cleaning and disinfection, enhanced illness surveillance among staff and patients, and exposure and source reduction. No human H5N1 cases were identified, and no additional detections in birds on the property occurred. Hospital staff identified barriers to preparedness resulting from a lack of understanding of avian influenza A viruses and transmission prevention methods, including avian influenza risk in resident wild bird populations and proper wildlife management methods. As this virus continues to circulate at the animal-human interface, this event and resulting response highlights the need for influenza A H5N1 risk awareness and guidance for facilities and groups not traditionally involved in avian influenza responses.

Practical Considerations in Hospital Infection Prevention

Inpatient infection prevention practices vary widely between health care institutions, on a national and international scale. Transmissible infectious diseases pose a risk to vulnerable inpatient populations as well as hospital staff and visitors. Maintaining a high index of suspicion, along with early identification and prompt isolation procedures of patients with these conditions can greatly reduce the likelihood of transmission. We review the presenting features and recommended infection prevention practices for six transmissible infectious diseases known to pose risks to patients, staff and visitors: scabies, tuberculosis, respiratory viruses, varicella zoster virus, Clostridioides difficile, and syphilis.