Isolation Facilities for Highly Infectious Diseases in Europe – A Cross-Sectional Analysis in 16 Countries (original) (raw)
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BMC Research Notes, 2012
Background Highly infectious diseases (HIDs) are defined as being transmissible from person to person, causing life-threatening illnesses and presenting a serious public health hazard. The sampling, handling and transport of specimens from patients with HIDs present specific bio-safety concerns. Findings The European Network for HID project aimed to record, in a cross-sectional study, the infection control capabilities of referral centers for HIDs across Europe and assesses the level of achievement to previously published guidelines. In this paper, we report the current diagnostic capabilities and bio-safety measures applied to diagnostic procedures in these referral centers. Overall, 48 isolation facilities in 16 European countries were evaluated. Although 81% of these referral centers are located near a biosafety level 3 laboratory, 11% and 31% of them still performed their microbiological and routine diagnostic analyses, respectively, without bio-safety measures. Conclusions The ...
Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 2009
Healthcare settings have been identified as preferential for the transmission of many agents causing highly infectious diseases (HIDs). Infection control procedures strongly reduce the risk of transmission of HIDs in hospital settings, when adequately applied. The main objective of the European Network for Highly Infectious Diseases (EuroNHID), a network co-funded by the European Commission, is to assess the current capabilities for dealing with HIDs in Europe, specifically in the context of infection control and healthcare worker (HCW) safety, through conducting an on-the-field survey of high-level isolation units (HLIUs)/referral centres for the management of HIDs in participating countries. During the first year of the project's activities, specifically designed, evidence-based checklists were developed. This review introduces the EuroNHID checklists as a standard tool for the assessment of hospital capabilities concerning infection control and HCW safety in the management of patients with HIDs, and presents preliminary results from five HLIUs.
Survey of isolation room equipment and resources in an academic hospital
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper, a point prevalence study, is to quantify the incidence of isolation and identify the type of communicable diseases in isolation. The paper evaluates isolation precaution communication, availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as other equipment necessary for maintaining isolation precautions. Design/methodology/approach A standardised audit tool was developed in accordance with the National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (May 2009). Data were collected from 14 March 2017 to 16 March 2017, through observation of occupied isolation rooms in an academic hospital in Dublin, Ireland. The data were subsequently used for additional analysis and discussion. Findings In total, 14 per cent (125/869) of the total inpatient population was isolated at the time of the study. The most common isolation precaution was contact precautions (96.0 per cent). In all, 88 per cent of known contact precaution...
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2012
Objective. To collect data about personal protective equipment (PPE) management and to provide indications for improving PPE policies in Europe. Design. Descriptive, cross-sectional survey. Setting and Participants. Data were collected in 48 isolation facilities in 16 European countries nominated by National Health Authorities for the management of highly infectious diseases (HIDs). Methods. Data were collected through standardized checklists at on-site visits during February-November 2009. Indications for adequate PPE policies were developed on the basis of a literature review, partners' expert opinions, and the collected data. Results. All facilities have procedures for the selection of PPE in case of HID, and 44 have procedures for the removal of PPE. In 40 facilities, different levels of PPE are used according to a risk assessment process, and in 8 facilities, high-level PPE (eg, positive-pressure complete suits or Trexler units) is always used. A fit test is performed at 25...
BMC Infectious Diseases, 2012
Background: In Emergency and Medical Admission Departments (EDs and MADs), prompt recognition and appropriate infection control management of patients with Highly Infectious Diseases (HIDs, e.g. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers and SARS) are fundamental for avoiding nosocomial outbreaks. Methods: The EuroNHID (European Network for Highly Infectious Diseases) project collected data from 41 EDs and MADs in 14 European countries, located in the same facility as a national/regional referral centre for HIDs, using specifically developed checklists, during on-site visits from February to November 2009. Results: Isolation rooms were available in 34 facilities (82,9%): these rooms had anteroom in 19, dedicated entrance in 15, negative pressure in 17, and HEPA filtration of exhausting air in 12. Only 6 centres (14,6%) had isolation rooms with all characteristics. Personnel trained for the recognition of HIDs was available in 24 facilities; management protocols for HIDs were available in 35. Conclusions: Preparedness level for the safe and appropriate management of HIDs is partially adequate in the surveyed EDs and MADs.
Universal isolation precautions for patients at an academic hospital
Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 2012
OBJECTIVE: To apply universal isolation precautions for patients at an academic hospital by a nursing team. METHODS: This descriptive and prospective study used data from advice service of quality control and nursing care that were gathered in observational reports of universal isolation precautions for patients admitted in two surgical inpatient units during 2008 and 2010. RESULTS: The mean general classification for both units was between desirable and adequate in the observational analysis of universal precaution. A borderline effect was observed only in November 2008 at the Men's Surgical Unit. The units assessed had compromised biosecurity, however, as time advanced data showed an improvement on their performance. CONCLUSION: The effective involvement of nurses in the unit is critical to prevent and control nosocomial infections.
Biomedical Research and Clinical Reviews, 2020
With COVID 19, more than ever before, healthcare institutions are realizing the need to develop, implement, assess, review and revise their infection control policies and guidelines of practice. In many facilities, patients who are known to be or suspected to be infectious are physically isolated from other patients and people. This is the rightful and ethical thing to do. These patients are usually identified through surveillance or using clinical and/ or microbiological criteria. Whilst practices such as personal and hand hygiene, safe infection control practices, distancing and others are useful, the use of formal isolation in hospitals represent an important step. This is also essential to reduce spread to healthcare workers. In this paper, we describe a Negative Pressure Full Isolation Tent (NPFIT) which we tried out via simulation and the conduct of a simple smoke test to understand more on the concept of negative pressure and what it entails. It is our hope that readers will ...
Reviewing the efficacy of infection control isolation
British Journal of Nursing, 2009
As part of a package of measures aimed at preventing crossinfection the isolation of patients in single rooms or through cohort nursing is a well-documented policy. However, the evidence base for an isolation policy is unclear – it can cause logistical problems through inadequate resources and may result in physical, psychological and social harm to patients. Notwithstanding these problems, isolation can be said to have a practical utility in that it may impact on a nurses’ behaviour as they enact compliance as part of their infection control duties. It is nevertheless important for policymakers to note that it is not the location of the patient per se that is of primary importance in the transmission of contact spread organisms, but the behaviour of staff within the isolated environment.