Infection Control Guidelines Research Articles

Knowledge of Health Care Providers of a Tertiary Hospital Regarding Post-Operative Infection

Background: Infection is a very common post-operative complication. Now a day the knowledge about infection among healthcare provider is very essential. The study was aimed to determine the knowledge health care provider regarding the management of infection in postoperative ward. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 90 respondents (60 doctors, 50 nurses & 40 supporting staff) from January 2015 to December 2015 in Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. A semi structured questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic data and infection management related information from the respondents through face to face interview. In-depth interviews were taken from director of DMCH, head of the department of surgery and nurse in-charge in post-operative ward for qualitative data. After collection data were complied, summarized and analyzed. The study was approved by ethical committee of National institute of Preventive and Social Medicine. Before collection of data, written permission was taken from the director of the selected hospital & take consent from the respondents. Results: Among 150 respondents, 58% were female with 26-30 years age group. Most doctors were post-graduate & nurses were diploma in nursing. Most of doctors had knowledge about infections- 83.3% told bacterial as a type, 80% told devices as a source and 94% told diabetes as a risk factor. Both doctors and nurses had knowledge about the causes and mode of transmission of infection (90% doctors & 93.2% nurses told unsterile instrument), complication due to infection (100% doctors told sepsis & 86.7% nurses told wound become red & swelling), prevention (100% doctors &92% nurses told proper sterilization of instrument). Doctors (95% and nurse (74%) known about infection control guideline and. Doctors (47.5%) and nurses (68%) received training about infection management Among 40 staff 80% were known about infection and they knew from their colleague. 82.5% staffs known about sterilization. Conclusion: This finding had great impact for management of infection and it will be beneficial for all HCW to receive formal and periodic refresher trainings. JOPSOM 2021; 40(1): 43-50

Nurses’ Knowledge about Infection Prevention for Patients with Leukemia

Background: Typically, patients with leukemia require immediate therapeutic intervention but most patients seek medical attention for symptoms related to anemia, infection, or bleeding. For undetermined reasons, fever and infection also increase the likelihood of bleeding, thus, the patients with leukemia are always threatened by infection.
 Aims of the study: The study aims to assess the nurses’ knowledge about infection prevention for patients with leukemia and to find out the relationship between their knowledge and demographic characteristics (years of experience and training courses).
 Methodology: A descriptive study carried out at Baghdad teaching hospital and starting of September 7th, 2019 up to December 17th, 2019.This study used a non-probability (purposive) sample of (30) nurses that caring of patients with leukemia at medical wards at Baghdad teaching hospital. The data collected with designed questionnaire, which consists of two forms; nurses’ demographic characteristics and nurses’ knowledge about prevention of infection. The validity of the questionnaire was determined through an expert panel and its reliability was determined through a pilot study by test – retest which was estimated as averages (R=0.87). Data was collected by direct interview and data was analyzed by application of descriptive & inferential statistical methods (frequency, percentage, mean of score, Pearson correlation and Chi-Square).
 Results: The results of the study indicated that the study sample was male (70%), (53.4%) within age group (20-29 years), (60%) was living in urban areas, and (40%) was single. (46.7%) was having (4-6) years of experience in oncology wards.
 Conclusion: The results showed that the majority of study sample reflect a moderate significance of knowledge in the measures taken by the nurse toward infection prevention, while showing low significance in patient teaching about infection prevention. In addition, there is a high significant relationship between nurses’ knowledge and their years of experience and having training courses inside and outside Iraq.
 Recommendations: The study recommended starting a set of specialized training courses concerning the infection prevention under the supervision of academic and practitioner experts and further guidelines of infection control must applied in medical wards at Baghdad teaching hospitals.

Examining pulmonary TB patient management and healthcare workers exposures in two public tertiary care hospitals, Bangladesh.

Implementation of tuberculosis (TB) infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines in public tertiary care general hospitals remain challenging due to limited evidence of pulmonary TB (PTB) patients' duration of hospital stay and management. To fill this evidence gap, this study examined adult PTB patient management, healthcare workers' (HCWs) exposures and IPC practices in two public tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh.Between December 2017 and September 2019, a multidisciplinary team conducted structured observations, a hospital record review, and in-depth interviews with hospital staff from four adult medicine wards.Over 20 months, we identified 1,200 presumptive TB patients through the hospital record review, of whom 263 were confirmed PTB patients who stayed in the hospital, a median of 4.7 days without TB treatment and possibly contaminated the inpatients wards. Over 141 observation hours, we found a median of 3.35 occupants present per 10 m2 of floor space and recorded a total of 17,085 coughs and 316 sneezes: a median of 3.9 coughs or sneezes per 10 m2 per hour per ward. Only 8.4% of coughs and 21% of sneezes were covered by cloths, paper, tissues, or by hand. The HCWs reportedly could not isolate the TB patients due to limited resources and space and could not provide them with a mask. Further, patients and HCWs did not wear any respirators.The study identified that most TB patients stayed in the hospitals untreated for some duration of time. These PTB patients frequently coughed and sneezed without any facial protection that potentially contaminated the ward environment and put everyone, including the HCWs, at risk of TB infection. Interventions that target TB patients screening on admission, isolation of presumptive TB patients, respiratory hygiene, and HCWs' use of personal protective equipment need to be enhanced and evaluated for acceptability, practicality and scale-up.

Changes in the Incidence of Intussusception and Infectious Diseases After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea.

BackgroundIntussusception refers to the invagination of a part of the intestine into itself. The exact cause for this condition is unknown in most cases. The active implementation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection control guidelines has reduced the spread of COVID-19 and the incidence of other infectious diseases in children. The current study aimed to identify changes in pediatric intussusception and infectious diseases after the implementation of infection control guidelines and confirm the association between intussusception and contagious diseases.MethodsWe analyzed the electronic medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with intussusception from seven hospitals in Korea between January 2017 and December 2020. We used open data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to investigate changes in infectious diseases over the same period.ResultsAltogether, we evaluated 390 children with intussusception. There was a statistically significant decrease in the incidence of monthly visits with intussusception in the COVID-19 period group (9.0 vs. 3.5, P < 0.001). When the monthly incidence of infectious diseases was compared between the pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 periods, a statistically significant decrease in respiratory viruses (7979.0 vs. 815.2, P < 0.001), enterovirus infection (262.2 vs. 6.6, P < 0.001), and viral enteritis (916.2 vs. 197.8, P < 0.001) were confirmed in the COVID-19 period. Through interrupted time series analysis, it was confirmed that the incidence of intussusception and viral infectious diseases have drastically decreased since March 2020, when COVID-19 infection control guidelines were actively implemented.ConclusionWe confirmed that implementing infection control guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decrease in intussusception and viral infectious diseases. Through this result, it was possible to indirectly confirm the existing hypothesis that viral infections play a significant role in the pathophysiologic mechanism of intussusception.

Rate of Compliance with Infection Control Practices while Taking Dental Radiographs in a Dental Health Care Center, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Infection control guidelines are aimed at preventing cross-contamination in clinical settings. Radiographs are indispensible part of oral diagnosis and assessing prognosis. Strict adherence to infection control protocol while taking dental radiographs are mandatory.Aims and Objectives: To assess the rate of compliance with infection control practices while taking dental radiographs in the dental clinic center of a teaching institution in Saudi Arabia.Materials and Methods: An observational study was undertaken for the infection control practices in the dental radiology wing of a university teaching center in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from dental faculty, dental assistants, and dental students working in dental clinics. Both pretested questionnaire and by direct observation of infection control practices was used for data collection. Chi-Square test for categorical variables and Independent samples t-test for compare mean self-reported infection control practice scores were used. Binary logistics regression was used to identify the factors influencing participant's compliance with infection control practices. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: 129 participants were included in this study, among those 26 were faculty, 19 were dental auxiliaries and 84 were dental students. On direct observation, the overall compliance rate was 79.5%; Dental auxiliaries have the highest compliance rate (94.5%) followed by dental faculty (88.5%) and students (68.6%). Binomial logistic regression predicted that females had 2.94 times more compliance than male counterparts, which is statistically significant.Conclusion: Students and faculty need continuing dental education programs for reinforcement on infection control practices.

Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Nuclear Medicine Facilities

Exposure to environmental microorganisms has a moderate effect on the spread of disease in otherwise healthy persons. Unintentional exposure to pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the varicella-zoster virus, and environmental opportunistic infections, such as Aspergillus spp. and Legionella spp., can cause diseases with high morbidity and/or mortality rates. Even when the exposure is not to the pathogens themselves, this may be the case. When hospital norms and standards are not strictly adhered to, horrible things may occur to patients. The capacity to swiftly recognize and identify microorganisms is an essential and challenging skill in both the business sector and the medical profession. There is universal agreement that sometimes following to preset protocols may be challenging and time-consuming (e.g., culture media and biochemical tests). However, the current study requires precise reporting of microorganisms using molecular techniques, and screening processes entail swiftly and affordably bringing together isolated groupings of bacteria and fungus. This review paper focuses on discovering and identifying bacteria utilizing a range of techniques, both historical and contemporary.

Infection prevention and control protocols in dentistry - Canadian guidelines

Introduction. A risk of transmission of infectious diseases has always been an inherent part of dental practice. Easily communicable respiratory and blood borne diseases have prompted dental communities to establish, evaluate, update and monitor infection prevention and control (IPAC) protocols and strategies (guidelines). The aim of this paper was to present Canadian standard protocols of infection prevention and control in dental offices, and compare them with similar guidelines available to dentists in Serbia. Method. A detailed overview of the most current IPAC guidelines and protocols provided by the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia in Canada has been summarized. In addition, the effect of the most recent Covid-19 pandemic on the current infection prevention and control measures in dental offices and future perspectives has been reviewed. Conclusion. Implementing infection prevention and control guidelines is essential part of practicing dentistry. Regulatory authorities have responsibility to establish and provide dentist with the most current IPAC protocols while dentists need to adopt up-to-date procedures and appropriately and consistently use them in everyday practice.

Quarantine of Travellers during the Initial Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic- Experience from a Rural Setting in Kerala, India

Introduction: Quarantine of travellers was one of the major public health strategies enforced by the state to curb the transmission of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the initial phases. Proper quarantine requires commitment from the person, support, and monitoring from the public health system. Aim: To understand the process, practices, perceptions, and difficulties of quarantined persons during the initial phase of the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) in a panchayat in Alappuzha, Kerala, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to September 2020 using a semi-structured questionnaire through telephonic interview among quarantined individuals in a panchayat in Alappuzha, Kerala. Quarantine practices, the process of quarantine, perceptions, and difficulties faced were explored to understand their viewpoint. The perceptions of the healthcare providers were also enquired qualitatively. The data collected was entered in Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, USA). Results: Out of the 182 quarantined individuals, 152 were in home quarantine of which 89 (58.6%) observed strict room quarantine and 132 (72.5%) had a quarantine period of more than 14 days which was the guideline then. Majority were contacted by the health staff during the period; however, 28% were not satisfied with the information that was conveyed to them. Majority adhered to infection control guidelines during quarantine. Almost half (46.7%) of them reported emotional problems during quarantine of which the major issues were loneliness and lack of social contact. Almost one-third of them had experienced stigma and rejection from people in the neighbourhood. Conclusion: Quarantine to be used effectively as a public health measure requires that the concerns and problems should also be taken care of. Adequate information regarding the need and process of quarantine should be provided and there should be a system to cater to the emotional concerns of the persons. Awareness regarding the purpose and role of quarantine among the general public will enable quarantine to be used as a powerful tool for disease control in the future.

Assessment of Knowledge Regarding Infection Control Protocols among Dental Health Professionals during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observational Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: It is necessary to prioritize occupational welfare, safety of dental students and health professionals to reduce coronavirus transmission, to offer the best benefit for patients. Aim: To assess knowledge regarding standard operating procedures to be adhered in clinical setting during pandemic amongst undergraduate, postgraduate dental students and dental interns of dental colleges in northwest region, Karnataka. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was undertaken in dental colleges in northwest region, Karnataka from January 2021 to February 2021. Sample size was estimated to be 360 based on a pilot study. Participants were selected by the simple random sampling technique and were interviewed using a questionnaire comprising of 20 closeended questions. The questionnaire was evaluated for reliability with Cronbach’s α value of 0.82, face validity 0.85%, and content validity ratio 0.76. The collected data was entered in MS Excel and analysed using Statistical Package of the Social Science (IBM-SPSS) statistics-version 21 using descriptive analysis, Chi-square analysis, spearman’s correlation coefficient test, and regression. Results: The mean age of the participants was 24.6±1.35 years with marked gender distribution of 261 (72.5%) females and 99 (27.5%) males. Overall knowledge score for the standard operating procedure to be adhered during the pandemic was found to be 10.92±1.96 (undergraduates), 12.68±1.80 (postgraduates) and 11.55±1.82 (interns). More than half of the respondents 57.78% displayed a moderate level of knowledge. Spearman’s correlation coefficient test revealed a high statistically significant difference between awareness about Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among participants and recommended masks during the procedure. Conclusion: Postgraduate students had higher knowledge regarding standard operating procedures to be adhered in dental clinics compared to undergraduate students and interns. It’s necessary that dental students are aware of latest infection control guidelines and implement them into their practices right from beginning.

Factors associated with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and an assessment of adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines among health workers —Nakonde District, Zambia, 2020

Introduction: Health workers play a critical role in the clinical management of COVID-19 patients. However, research on their infection risk and clinical characteristics, particularly in Africa, is emerging. We investigated risk factors for COVID-19 infection and assessed adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines among health workers in Nakonde District.

요양병원 요양보호사의 감염 환자 돌봄 경험

초록·키워드 목차 오류제보하기 Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore nursing care worker"s experience of care services for infected patients in long-term care hospital. Methods: For this study, the researcher used the convenience sampling method to recruit 9 nursing care workers in long-term care hospitals. Data were collected through in-depth interview with them. The data collected were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Results: 24 codes were extracted, and through the process of organizing the meanings, 8 sub-themes and 4 themes were deduced. The themes deduced were ‘Diversely coexisting psychological responses’, ‘Caring for an infected patient at a given position’, ‘Obstacles to implementation of principled infection control guidelines’, ‘Needs for customized education of caregiver for infected patients’. Conclusion: This study would be deemed significant in that it has provided for some basic data to the education of the nursing care workers and the development of an intervention program. #Long-term care hospital #Nursing care workers #Infected patient #Qualitative research #요양병원 #요양보호사 #감염관리 #질적연구 서론연구방법연구결과논의결론 및 제언REFERENCES

A Clinico-Microbiological Study of Β-Lactamase Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae Among Neonates From Neonatal Intensive Care Unit At Tertiary Care Hospital, Ujjain

Abstract: Infection caused by drug resistance Klebsiella pneumoniae is very common now days in community as well as nosocomial environment. K.pneumoniae is second most common pathogen in neonatal septicemia. Our aim to detect drug resistance K.pneumoniae by production of β-lactamase enzymes such as extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC β-lactamase, metalo β-lactamase (MBL) and carbapenemase in neonatal septicemia. A total 13 isolates of K.pneumoniae detected from neonates admitted in tertiary care centre during study period from February 2015 to July 2016. We analyzed risk factors in K. pneumoniae infection among neonates on the basis of prolong rupture of membrane, preterm birth, onset of septicemia etc. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion methods. β-lactamase enzymes includes, Extended spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL), AmpC β-lactamase, metalo β-lactamase (MBL)and carbapenemase were detected by phenotypic methods using standard guidelines. Distribution of MDR, XDR and PDR detected according to antimicrobial resistance pattern as per guideline. Among 13 K.pneumoniae isolate, antimicrobial resistance profile was studied. Isolates were 100% resistant to third generation cephalosporin and least resistant to imipenem 54%. MDR K.pneumoniae were 23 %, XDR were 77% and no PDR isolated. ESBL production seen in 23.1%, AmpC in 7.7 %, MBL in 00 % and Carbapenemase in 46.1 %. The study indicates that drug resistance higher in NICU of our institute. It requires strict implementation of infection control guidelines in NICU by safe hygiene practices, restricted use of broad spectrum antibiotics as empirical therapy and also formulation of uniform antibiotic policy for such patients based on the current trend of antibiotic resistance.

Readiness of Medical Institutions, Academics and Practitioners for the Covid-19 Outbreak

Objective: To assess the readiness of medical institutions (academics and practitioners) to the COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan. &nbsp;Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Two medical institutes were contacted in Sind and Punjab through the Vice Chancellors. Faculty members were asked to fill the questionnaire online. Convenience sampling was done, with no fixed sample size. Questionnaires were sent as google forms. Duration of the study was 4 months (Aug 2020 – Nov 2020).&nbsp; &nbsp;Results: Out of 111 participants, there were 64 females and 47 males. Clinical faculty gave more correct answers on major warning signs of COVID-19 (35.6%) as compared to the basic science faculty (16.7%). Private sector is more prepared to deal with COVID in terms of availability of infection control materials and following of SOPs, however, public sector showed improved numbers (59.1%) for “Performing refresher training for HCP on infection control guidelines” as compared to private sector (33.7%). Total subjective score on IES range from 25 – 30 out of 75 in different groups which showed moderate stress.&nbsp; The two most practiced life style modifications were avoiding crowded places and frequently washing the hands. The thought of passing on infection to the loved ones was found to be most worrisome for them. &nbsp;Conclusion: The pandemic is a source of stress for healthcare workers. The institutional readiness for dealing with the pandemic needs consideration at institutional, government and policy level for better equipping the healthcare facilities with the infection control materials and PPEs.

IMPORTANCE OF INFECTION CONTROL THROUGH SCREENING, INSPECTION, PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT PROCEDURES IN DENTAL PRACTICE

Background: Oral and dental health service facilities are very at risk of infection. It found an increase in the frequency of microorganisms before 33.3% and after 80% of treatments in the air of the practice room and an increase in microorganisms before 18.3% and after 70% treatment on the surface of the dental unit. Method: This study aim to report integratively on infection prevention and control guidelines in dental and oral health facilities. The literature review used in this article uses the Systematic Literature Review method by analyzing 618 articles on the scientific search engines Science Direct, ProQuest, Google Schoolar and Pubmed with the criteria for articles related to keywords and 14 articles were collected as literature studies related to material. Result: Guidelines for the implementation of infection prevention in dental and oral health facilities. Conclusion: Effective and efficient infection control efforts in dentist practice can reduce the spread of infectious diseases in dental and oral health care facilities.

Effect of Public Empathy with Infection-Control Guidelines on Infection-Prevention Attitudes and Behaviors: Based on the Case of COVID-19.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the government has provided infection-control guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. The authors of this study examined the structure (causal relationship) of factors that influence public behavior toward COVID-19 and verified the effect of public empathy with infection-control guidelines in each structure. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire survey from 211 Korean adults. The results showed that (1) the perceived susceptibility and severity of economic damage had a positive effect on infection-prevention attitudes and infection-prevention attitudes had a positive effect on infection-prevention behaviors; (2) the perceived severity of economic damage had a positive effect on infection-prevention attitudes; and (3) public empathy with infection-control guidelines positively moderated the effect of the perceived severity of economic damage on infection-prevention behaviors and that of perceived susceptibility on infection-prevention attitudes. Accordingly, the authors of this study present the following three suggestions to prevent the spread of an infectious disease: engage in risk communication focused on a potential virus infection and cooperation, make multifaceted efforts to increase public empathy with infection-control guidelines, and implement measures to alleviate or reduce economic damage to the public in a viral pandemic.

Healthcare-associated links in transmission of nontuberculous mycobacteria among people with cystic fibrosis (HALT NTM) study: Rationale and study design.

BackgroundHealthcare-associated transmission of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) among people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) has been reported and is of increasing concern. No standardized epidemiologic investigation tool has been published for healthcare-associated NTM outbreak investigations. This report describes the design of an ongoing observational study to standardize the approach to NTM outbreak investigation among pwCF.MethodsThis is a parallel multi-site study of pwCF within a single Center who have respiratory NTM isolates identified as being highly-similar. Participants have a history of positive airway cultures for NTM, receive care within a single Center, and have been identified as part of a possible outbreak based on genomic analysis of NTM isolates. Participants are enrolled in the study over a 3-year period. Primary endpoints are identification of a shared healthcare-associated encounter(s) among patients in a Center and identification of environmental isolates that are genetically highly-similar to respiratory isolates recovered from pwCF. Secondary endpoints include characterization of potential transmission modes and settings, as well as incidence and prevalence of healthcare-associated environmental NTM species/subspecies by geographical region.DiscussionWe hypothesize that genetically highly-similar strains of NTM among pwCF cared for at the same Center may arise from healthcare sources including patient-to-patient transmission and/or acquisition from environmental sources. This novel study design will establish a standardized, evidence-based epidemiologic investigation tool for healthcare-associated NTM outbreak investigation within CF Care Centers, will broaden the scope of independent outbreak investigations and demonstrate the frequency and nature of healthcare-associated NTM transmission in CF Care Centers nationwide. Furthermore, it will provide valuable insights into modeling risk factors associated with healthcare-associated NTM transmission and better inform future infection prevention and control guidelines. This study will systematically characterize clinically-relevant NTM isolates of CF healthcare environmental dust and water biofilms and set the stage to describe the most common environmental sources within the healthcare setting harboring clinically-relevant NTM isolates.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04024423. Date of registry July 18, 2019.

COVID-19 Infection among the Health Care Staff at Frontier Medical and Dental College and Hospital

Background: First case of pandemic COVID-19 was diagnosed in December 2019 in China from where it spread throughout the world. In Pakistan, first case was diagnosed in February 2020 which resulted in a complete and several smart national lockdowns. National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) and Ministry of Health published guidelines for patient’s treatments during pandemic which includes: 1) providing only emergency Treatments 2) Patient’s pre-admittance Questioning, 3) Increasing intervals between appointment, 4) prevent crowding in waiting rooms, 5) Wearing masks at all times. 6) Wearing PPE. Methods: Data from all clinical departments of Frontier Medical and Dental College and Hospital Abbottabad was collected between March and December 2020 which included Number of; 1) Patients treated 2) Medical Staff 3) patients with positive COVID-19 reports 4) healthcare workers suffering from COVID-19. And 6) Post treatment Virus Infected patients. Results: 291 health care staff including 135 medical and dental doctors, 4 dental hygienists, 82 paramedics and 70 Administrative staff worked during the study period and 3280 procedures were performed. Out of these, thirty-eight (38) staff members treated 190 verified COVID-19 patients. During the study period 6 dentists (2.06%) and 9 (3.09%) medical doctors, 2 (0.7%) assistants and 3 (1.03%) admin staff were tested positive for the virus. Conclusion: Present study highlights the importance of education and stickiness to the infection control guidelines thus minimizing the risk of transmission of corona virus among the Healthcare professionals in hospitals. Keywords: COVID-19; Infection control, PPE, NCOC

Implementation of a structured practical activity to analyse student healthcare worker perceptions and compliance with prescribed infection control procedures

BackgroundNon-compliance with infection control guidelines has been reported within healthcare settings. Infection control education in undergraduate healthcare education programs forms a critical component in preparing student healthcare workers for vocational roles.MethodsClinical sciences students (nutrition science, paramedicine, pharmacy, podiatry, optometry studying for qualifications recognised by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) self-reported hygiene perceptions and practices and collected microbiological swabs from personal or medical equipment items before and after recommended disinfection procedures.ResultsCultivable microorganisms were isolated from 95% of student medical equipment items. Disinfection significantly reduced microbial growth on student medical equipment items (P < 0.05).ConclusionsStudent perceptions of infection control procedures do not always correlate with infection control practice. Infection control education of undergraduate healthcare students requires ongoing assessment to ensure successful translation into clinical practice.

From Epidemic to Pandemic: Comparing Hospital Staff Emotional Experience Between MERS and COVID-19.

Objective: Both Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have an emotional toll on healthcare workers (HCWs), but the difference of the impact between the two diseases remains unknown.Design: A cross sectional descriptive survey.Setting: A tertiary care hospital.Participants: 125 HCWs who worked during the 2014 MERS as well as the 2020 COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk areas of the hospital including critical care, emergency room and COVID-19 clinics.Methods: The comprehensive survey comprised 5 sections and 68 questions and was administered to HCWs before availability of the COVID-19 vaccine. The survey evaluated hospital staff emotions, perceived stressors, external factors that reduced stress, personal coping strategies, and motivators for future outbreaks. The participants rated each question for MERS and COVID-19 simultaneously on a scale from 0-3. The responses were reported as mean and standard deviation, while Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to calculate the difference in responses.Results: There were 102 (82%) participants who returned the questionnaire. The ritual of obsessive hand washing, emotional and physical fatigue, ongoing changes in infection control guidelines, fear of community transmission, and limitations on socialization and travel were the major stressors that were significantly worse during COVID-19 compared to MERS (P<0.05) and led to HCWs adoption of additional 'personal' coping strategies during COVID-19. There was no difference between COVID-19 and MERS, however, among preferences for 'external' factors made available to HCWs that could reduce stress or in their preferences for motivators to work in future outbreaks (P>.05).Conclusion: Both the MERS and COVID-19 outbreaks were emotionally draining for HCWs. However, COVID-19 was a relatively more stressful experience than MERS for HCWs and led to greater personal, behavioral, and protective adaptations by the hospital staff.

Factors Associated with Intention to Comply with Infection Control Guidelines in Physicians and Nurses: An Analysis Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors affecting physicians and nurses’ intention to comply with healthcare-associated infection control guidelines, based on the theory of planned behavior.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 169 doctors and nurses at a tertiary hospital. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the factors influencing intention to comply with healthcare-associated infection control guidelines.Results: The mean score of intention to comply with infection control guidelines was 17.17±2.60 points (possible range 3-21 points). The intention to comply with infection control guidelines was positively associated with subjective norms and perceived behavioral control over compliance with healthcare-associated infection control guidelines. In the multiple regression analysis, perceived behavioral control was the only significant predictor of intention to comply with healthcare-associated infection control guidelines.Conclusion: In order to encourage doctors and nurses to comply with infection control guidelines, it is necessary to provide resources, enhance the work environment, and utilize strategies to increase perceived behavioral control over compliance with infection control guidelines.