Analysis Of The Article ' Effect Of Single- Versus Double- Gloving On Virus Transfer Health Care Workers ' Skin And Clothing Essay

My current place of work provides policies and procedures about the use of protective equipment and how/when you must use them as PPE is essential when working within hazardous activities such as disposing of hazardous waste, preparing/handling meals, cleaning etc.

The use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), like plastic aprons, gloves footwear when handling contaminated items, including items contaminated with body fluids, and disposing of waste,

All areas that are being used for healthcare activities should be cleaned with either disinfectant wipes each morning and in between patients/procedures. Equipment should be all new out of the packets and clean. For things more major such as vasectomy’s, minor surgery or family planning clinics, areas should be cleaned everywhere with a disinfectant fluid and also with wipes, gloves should always be worn as well as other PPE such as aprons and hats. All equipment should be new from the packet and only touched by the person who is using

The provision and use of personal protective equipment could include using gloves, glasses, earmuffs, aprons, safety footwear, dust masks.

Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) affect over 1.7 million patients each year, causing almost 100,000 deaths annually in the United States alone (Johnson, 2010). According to the World Health Organization, HAIs are the most frequent adverse event in the healthcare industry. Fortunately, most of these infections can be prevented with one single intervention, proper hand hygiene (“The Evidence,” n.d.). Four out of five pathogens that cause illness are spread by direct contact. Proper hand hygiene eliminates these pathogens and helps to prevent cross-contamination and HAIs (Linton, 2015; “Hand Hygiene,” n.d.). Reduction of cross-contamination and HAIs improves patient outcomes, increases employee wellness, and lowers health care costs. Adherence to proper hand hygiene is the single most important safety measure in the health care setting. However, for many years compliance to proper hand hygiene in the healthcare industry has been dismally low. New and inventive measures must be implemented to increase compliance to proper hand hygiene and lower the rate of hospital-acquired infections.

5.4 Current regulations set out by the health and safety executive are, 1) Every employer shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that any personal protective equipment provided to his employees by virtue of regulation 4 (1) is properly used. (2) Every employee shall use any personal protective equipment provided to them by virtue of these Regulations in accordance both with any training in the use of the personal protective equipment concerned which has been received by him and the instructions respecting that use which have been provided to him by virtue of regulation 9. (3) Every self-employed person shall make full and proper use of any personal protective equipment provided to him by virtue of regulation 4(2). (4) Every employee and self-employed person who has been provided with personal protective equipment by virtue of regulation 4 shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that it is returned to the accommodation provided for it after use

A campaign called, “Clean Hands Save Lives” endorsed by the CDC in the year 2015 put an emphasis on five simple steps to avoid or reduce illnesses. The steps are the following and to be carried out in that order: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, and dry (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, pg. 458). In addition to performing hand hygiene, gloves must also be used when handling any type of specimen. The use of PPE or Personal protective equipment is important as it protects the wearer from any type of injury or infection. (PPE) Healthcare facilities disclose the type of contact precaution outside a patient’s door. For example, a label for Airborne Precautions indicate that a respiratory protection device (N95 respirator) must be worn in order to enter the room and while interacting with the patient. A room with Droplet Precautions requires the use of a mask or respirator. On the other hand, a room with Contact Precautions indicates the use of gloves and gowns, and a room with category Protective Environment requires protection with HEPA filtration, mask, gloves, and gowns (Potter et al., pg 459).

Protective clothing including masks, gloves, gowns and goggles should be worn when coming into contact with an infected person. The US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that the protective gear leaves no skin exposed. These measures should be carried out for those who may handle objects contaminated by an infected person's body fluids. In 2014, the CDC began recommending that medical personnel receive training on the proper suit-up and removal of personal protective equipment (PPE); in addition, a designated person, appropriately trained in biosafety, should be watching each step of these procedures to ensure they are done correctly. The typical training period for the use of such safety equipment lasted approximately 12 days in Sierra Leone.

* Personal Protective Equipment reduces, but does not completely eliminate the risk of acquiring or spreading an infection. It is important that it is used effectively and correctly. And at all times where contact with blood and body fluids of patients may occur.

Among reviewing CNAs at a long-term care facility, it was seen that some CNA’s did not take off their gloves between giving perineal care of a patient after the patient used the bathroom and the CNA reached for the patient’s attire to put on the patient for that day. The CNA put every patient at risk of contracting the infection and the patients clothes could have became a source of C-diff. There are many cases similar to the one above where health workers are in a rush and do not perform their job/skills that they have been taught correctly. Health workers being in a rush also is due to shortage of staff. The CNAs at the long term facility discussed in this paragraph work a 9:1 ratio, which causes challenges for the health workers to give quality care to the patients.

Healthcare associated infections have an impact on patients - how? Can be prevented greatly with compliance to hand hygiene protocols (REF).

Relating back to my previous work I noted that it was essential that nurses wore aprons during patient care, ensuring that they discarded of them after patient contact. Not only does wearing an apron act as a barrier it is also recognised as a type of PPC (Personal protective clothing). Cadlin J, Stark S (2005) suggests that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (1991, 1992) says “Health and Safety Regulations require that all healthcare employees are provided with personal protective clothing”. However McCullough (1998) suggests that nurses’ uniforms are not considered protective clothing and that protection within the NHS is provided by the use of disposable aprons. Surprisingly some healthcare workers and qualified nurses were not discarding aprons after patient contact, not only is this bad practice but it increases the risk of cross infection between patients. Babb et al (1983) within Candlin J, Stark S (2005) article found that “although micro-organisms can survive for varying lengths of time and adhere to plastic aprons, they do not multiply and are difficult to redistribute”.

Protective clothing does not have to be worn at all times within the facility as there is a chance that instead of preventing the infection they could also carry around the healthcare associated infections if it is worn when it is not necessary. Before any member of the healthcare team decides to wear any kind of protective clothing it is important that they assess the risk of the transmission of the infection to themselves and the patient. Protective clothing must be worn at all times when there are bodily fluids, blood, secretions or excretions from the patient as this will prevent any

WHO (Who.int, 2016) and NICE guidelines (Nice.org.uk, 2016) both provide guidance and rationale as to why it is important to perform hand hygiene as well as using gloves as they do not provide complete protection against hand contamination. I was pleased that I had demonstrated good technique in the gloves, apron and safe disposal of waste part of the OSCE. However, I had not considered the sensitivity of the patient or healthcare worker when explaining the procedure. I have since researched the effect of latex gloves and latex sensitization and allergy among healthcare workers. Phaswana and Naidoo (2013) conducted a cross-sectional study to examine latex sensitization (LS) and latex allergy (LA) prevalence among healthcare workers using hypoallergenic latex gloves. Symptoms of LS include skin rash, itchy skin, runny nose, and red or itchy eyes. They found that exposure to latex was significantly associated with LA and working as an enrolled nurse was significantly associated with both LS and LA. Interestingly, the duration of employment was found to be inversely associated with LA and the exclusive use of powder free latex gloves was significantly associated with LS and LA. The authors considered that the explanation for this finding could be related to the “healthy worker effect” where workers who had developed LA may have left their employment or changed their career path to a role with no contact with latex gloves, and senior health care workers that may have been

This assignment will encompass how the results of the personal hygiene and susceptibility microbiology experiments provide a framework for the basis of the NICE Clinical Guidance (CG139) on Infection and how crucial the reasons for the hand wash protocol and hygiene is in all healthcare settings.