Here is an article that caught my eye, published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The authors assessed critical errors in the doffing of personal protective equipment during viral hemorrhagic fever preparedness. Training and practice are necessary to get in and out of the protective apparel.
We are learning that errors with donning/doffing of personal protective equipment abound, not only in a unique pathogens setting but also with the more mundane use of contact precautions.
In a forthcoming publication that assesses healthcare worker self-contamination when doffing gowns and gloves, soon to appear in JAMA Internal Medicine, we have written the corresponding commentary. In brief, healthcare worker contamination is common and we have yet to devise achievable, sustainable training with ongoing assessments of appropriate donning and doffing of personal protective equipment.
As we move toward using contact precautions more judiciously and selectively, as suggested here, we must strive to ensure appropriate and consistently correct use of gowns and gloves.
Stay tuned. More to come.
In a forthcoming publication that assesses healthcare worker self-contamination when doffing gowns and gloves, soon to appear in JAMA Internal Medicine, we have written the corresponding commentary. In brief, healthcare worker contamination is common and we have yet to devise achievable, sustainable training with ongoing assessments of appropriate donning and doffing of personal protective equipment.
As we move toward using contact precautions more judiciously and selectively, as suggested here, we must strive to ensure appropriate and consistently correct use of gowns and gloves.
Stay tuned. More to come.
