![]() Summarizes the PPE used by radiographers during the COVID-19 outbreak. The location of the boxes is made known to all staff and the items are replenished each time they are used.Īs HCWs, all radiographers are trained in the proper steps to don and doff PPE with annual audits in place to ensure compliance. PPEs are stored in boxes as a one-stop storage solution for easy and convenient access. 9 Personalised goggles are distributed to radiographers in high risk area handling suspect or positive COVID-19 patients. 8Įye protection such as goggles or face mask with visor is worn when performing procedures that may generate splashes or sprays of body fluids, or when the procedure is performed within 1.5 m of a coughing patient. Compared to the surgical mask, the N95 however, is capable of reducing wearer's exposure to minute particles such as fine aerosolised droplets produced by coughing. 7īoth the surgical mask and the N95 will protect the wearer from large droplets of blood or body fluids and the patient from the wearer's respiratory emissions. 6 PPE is necessary to diminish the risk of disease transmission. ![]() Inadequate personal protection was one of the main contributing factors leading to the high number of infected HCWs in China. Apart from the previous efforts in conducting the compulsory annual hand hygiene and infection prevention online module, mandatory hands-on refresher courses on personal protective equipment (PPE) are also conducted for all employees including housekeeping and administrative staff. These instructions and protocols are readily available on the hospital intranet for ease of access. At the onset of the outbreak, the team worked with the hospital's Infection Prevention and Epidemiology unit to create specific instructions and protocols for each modality. 3 Hospital staff have learned that it was critical to invest in staff education after the SARS outbreak in order to contain the spread of disease.Īn infection control team consisting of representatives from each modality is tasked to educate, update and ensure adherence to hospital approved COVID-19 protocols at all times. These steps were vital to close any potential gaps and reinforce proper infection control techniques. ![]() The experience with the 2003 SARS outbreak in which Singapore was one of the hardest hit countries has shown the importance of acquiring expert advice to refine procedures and review practices. With these goals in mind, this paper aims to describe the prevention of COVID-19 nosocomial transmission during radiographic procedures utilizing stringent infection prevention and control at a leading tertiary hospital in Singapore. Protocols are therefore necessary to mitigate the risk of radiographers being infected to protect the other HCWs, patients and public. However, the greatest risks likely occur during procedures such as ultrasound (US) and interventional radiology (IR) due to the prolonged patient contact. Radiographers may be exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during procedures such as radiography and Computed Tomography (CT) of the chest that are performed routinely to assess severity and progression of disease. 2 Appropriate infection prevention and control measures taking into consideration staff protection and patient safety are required to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19. 1 Viable viral particles have been isolated from surfaces up to 72 h after inoculation. ![]() SARS-CoV-2 is capable of human-to-human transmission and is spread via respiratory droplets and fomites during close unprotected contact. 1 This number is expected to rise not just in China but likely in other parts of the world as well. The World Health Organization (WHO) - China Joint Mission on COVID-19 reported that 2055 HCWs from 476 hospitals across China were infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as of February 20, 2020. Not only does it expose the vulnerable population in the healthcare setting, it also places the healthcare workers (HCWs) who are greatly needed to fight this pandemic at risk. Nosocomial transmission during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, which has since surpassed the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 in terms of spread and mortality, is an undesirable outcome that no healthcare institution would welcome.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |