The Experts below are selected from a list of 25893 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Richard A Martinello - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
mass severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 sars cov 2 testing of asymptomatic Healthcare Personnel erratum
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2021Co-Authors: Scott C Roberts, David R Peaper, Craig D Thorne, Scott L Sussman, Thomas S Murray, Steven J Choi, Christian M Pettker, Mark Russi, Richard A MartinelloAbstract:Mass asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplified testing of Healthcare Personnel (HCP) was performed at a large tertiary health system. A low period-prevalence of positive HCP was observed. Of those who tested positive, half had mild symptoms in retrospect. HCP with even mild symptoms should be isolated and tested.
-
mass severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 sars cov 2 testing of asymptomatic Healthcare Personnel
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2021Co-Authors: Scott C Roberts, David R Peaper, Craig D Thorne, Scott L Sussman, Thomas S Murray, Steven J Choi, Christian M Pettker, Mark Russi, Richard A MartinelloAbstract:Mass asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplified testing of Healthcare Personnel (HCP) was performed at a large tertiary health system. A low period-prevalence of positive HCP was observed. Of those who tested positive, half had mild symptoms in retrospect. HCP with even mild symptoms should be isolated and tested.
David J Weber - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
multisociety statement on coronavirus disease 2019 covid 19 vaccination as a condition of employment for Healthcare Personnel
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2021Co-Authors: David J Weber, Hilary M Babcock, Kristina A Bryant, Jaffar A Altawfiq, Marci L Drees, Ramy H Elshaboury, Katharine Essick, Mohamad G FakihAbstract:This consensus statement by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA), the Association for Professionals in Epidemiology and Infection Control (APIC), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) recommends that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination should be a condition of employment for all Healthcare Personnel in facilities in the United States. Exemptions from this policy apply to those with medical contraindications to all COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States and other exemptions as specified by federal or state law. The consensus statement also supports COVID-19 vaccination of nonemployees functioning at a Healthcare facility (eg, students, contract workers, volunteers, etc).
-
mental health among Healthcare Personnel during covid 19 in asia a systematic review
Journal of the Formosan Medical Association, 2021Co-Authors: Anucha Thatrimontrichai, David J Weber, Anucha ApisarnthanarakAbstract:The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with an insidious wave of psychological stress among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) in Asia. Mental exhaustion, burnout, fear, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and psychological stress among HCPs have intensified a daunting challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences of such stress may negatively impact patient and HCP safety. This review article reports the associations of mental health status attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic among HCP and their impact on patient safety, and infection prevention and control practices during pandemics.
-
evaluating north carolina s policy for Healthcare Personnel living with hiv and hepatitis b who perform invasive procedures after 25 years of implementation
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2020Co-Authors: Cedar L Mitchell, James W S Lewis, Jeanmarie Maillard, Zack Moore, David J WeberAbstract:Healthcare Personnel who perform invasive procedures and are living with HIV or hepatitis B have been required to self-notify the NC state health department since 1992. State coordinated review of HCP utilizes a panel of experts to evaluate transmission risk and recommend infection prevention measures. We describe how this practice balances HCP privacy and patient safety and health.
-
Impact of Safety-Engineered Devices on the Incidence of Occupational Blood and Body Fluid Exposures Among Healthcare Personnel in an Academic Facility, 2000-2014.
Infection control and hospital epidemiology, 2016Co-Authors: Hajime Kanamori, David J Weber, Lauren M. Dibiase, Karen L Pitman, Stephanie A. Consoli, James J. Hill, Emily E. Sickbert-bennett, William A. RutalaAbstract:BACKGROUND Legislative actions and advanced technologies, particularly dissemination of safety-engineered devices, have aided in protecting Healthcare Personnel from occupational blood and body fluid exposures (BBFE). OBJECTIVE To investigate the trends in BBFE among Healthcare Personnel over 15 years and the impact of safety-engineered devices on the incidence of percutaneous injuries as well as features of injuries associated with these devices. METHODS Retrospective cohort study at University of North Carolina Hospitals, a tertiary care academic facility. Data on BBFE in Healthcare Personnel were extracted from Occupational Health Service records (2000–2014). Exposures associated with safety-engineered and conventional devices were compared. Generalized linear models were applied to measure the annual incidence rate difference by exposure type over time. RESULTS A total of 4,300 BBFE, including 3,318 percutaneous injuries (77%), were reported. The incidence rate for overall BBFE was significantly reduced during 2000–2014 (incidence rate difference, 1.72; P =.0003). The incidence rate for percutaneous injuries was also dramatically reduced during 2001–2006 (incidence rate difference, 1.37; P =.0079) but was less changed during 2006–2014. Percutaneous injuries associated with safety-engineered devices accounted for 27% of all BBFE. BBFE was most commonly due to injecting through skin, placing intravenous catheters, and blood drawing. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed significant overall reduction in BBFE and percutaneous injuries likely due in part to the impact of safety-engineered devices but also identified that a considerable proportion of percutaneous injuries is now associated with these devices. Additional prevention strategies are needed to further reduce percutaneous injuries and improve design of safety-engineered devices. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:497–504
-
the use of live attenuated influenza vaccine laiv in Healthcare Personnel hcp guidance from the society for Healthcare epidemiology of america shea
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2012Co-Authors: Thomas R. Talbot, Hilary M Babcock, Deborah J Cotton, Lisa L Maragakis, Gregory A Poland, Edward Septimus, Michael L Tapper, David J WeberAbstract:Because of the live viral backbone of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), questions have arisen regarding infection control precautions and restrictions surrounding its use in Healthcare Personnel (HCP). This document provides guidance from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America regarding use of LAIV in HCP and the infection control precautions that are recommended with its use in this population.
Devra Barter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
practices and activities among Healthcare Personnel with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 sars cov 2 infection working in different Healthcare settings ten emerging infections program sites april november 2020
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2021Co-Authors: Nora Chea, Taniece Eure, Austin Penna, Cedric Brown, Joelle Nadle, Deborah Godine, Linda Frank, Christopher A Czaja, Helen Johnston, Devra BarterAbstract:Healthcare Personnel with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were interviewed to describe activities and practices in and outside the workplace. Among 2,625 Healthcare Personnel, workplace-related factors that may increase infection risk were more common among nursing-home Personnel than hospital Personnel, whereas selected factors outside the workplace were more common among hospital Personnel.
Cynthia L Gibert - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
outpatient Healthcare Personnel knowledge and attitudes towards infection prevention measures for protection from respiratory infections
American Journal of Infection Control, 2021Co-Authors: Mary T Bessesen, Derek A T Cummings, Charlotte A Gaydos, Cynthia L Gibert, Susan M Rattigan, John Frederick, Geoffrey J GorseAbstract:Background Healthcare Personnel (HCP) knowledge and attitudes toward infection control measures are important determinants of practices that can protect them from transmission of infectious diseases. Methods Healthcare Personnel were recruited from Emergency Departments and outpatient clinics at seven sites. They completed knowledge surveys at the beginning and attitude surveys at the beginning and end of each season of participation. Attitudes toward infection prevention and control measures, especially medical masks and N95 respirators, were compared. The proportion of participants who correctly identified all components of an infection control bundle for seven clinical scenarios was calculated. Results The proportion of participants in the medical mask group who reported at least one reason to avoid using medical masks fell from 88.5% on the pre-season survey to 39.6% on the post-season survey (odds ratio [OR] for preseason vs. postseason 0.11, 95% CI 0.10-0.14). Among those wearing N95 respirators, the proportion fell from 87.9% to 53.6% (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.21-0.28). Participants correctly identified all components of the infection control bundle for 4.9% to 38.5% of scenarios. Conclusions Attitudes toward medical masks and N95 respirators improved significantly between the beginning and end of each season. The proportion of HCP who correctly identified the infection control precautions needed for clinical scenarios was low, but it improved over successive years of participation in the study.
-
risk factors for Healthcare Personnel infection with endemic coronaviruses hku1 oc43 nl63 229e results from the respiratory protection effectiveness clinical trial respect
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2020Co-Authors: Derek A T Cummings, Lewis J Radonovich, Mary T Bessesen, Charlotte A Gaydos, Cynthia L Gibert, Geoffrey J Gorse, Alexandria C BrownAbstract:Background SARS-CoV-2 presents a large risk to Healthcare Personnel. Quantifying the risk of coronavirus infection associated with workplace activities is an urgent need. Methods We assessed the association of worker characteristics, occupational roles and behaviors, and participation in procedures with the risk of endemic coronavirus infection among Healthcare Personnel who participated in the Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Trial (ResPECT), a cluster randomized trial to assess personal protective equipment to prevent respiratory infections and illness conducted from 2011 to 2016. Results Among 4,689 HCP-seasons, we detected coronavirus infection in 387 (8%). HCP who participated in an aerosol generation procedure (AGP) at least once during the viral respiratory season were 105% (95% CI 21%, 240%) more likely to be diagnosed with a laboratory-confirmed coronavirus infection. Younger individuals, those who saw pediatric patients and those with household members under the age of five were at increased risk of coronavirus infection. Conclusions Our analysis suggests the risk of HCP becoming infected with an endemic coronavirus increases approximately two-fold with exposures to AGP. Our findings may be relevant to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; however, SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may differ from endemic coronaviruses in important ways.
-
the respiratory protection effectiveness clinical trial respect a cluster randomized comparison of respirator and medical mask effectiveness against respiratory infections in Healthcare Personnel
BMC Infectious Diseases, 2016Co-Authors: Lewis J Radonovich, Mary T Bessesen, Derek A T Cummings, Aaron Eagan, Charlotte A Gaydos, Cynthia L Gibert, Geoffrey J Gorse, Annchristine NyquistAbstract:Although N95 filtering facepiece respirators and medical masks are commonly used for protection against respiratory infections in Healthcare settings, more clinical evidence is needed to understand the optimal settings and exposure circumstances for Healthcare Personnel to use these devices. A lack of clinically germane research has led to equivocal, and occasionally conflicting, Healthcare respiratory protection recommendations from public health organizations, professional societies, and experts. The Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial (ResPECT) is a prospective comparison of respiratory protective equipment to be conducted at multiple U.S. study sites. Healthcare Personnel who work in outpatient settings will be cluster-randomized to wear N95 respirators or medical masks for protection against infections during respiratory virus season. Outcome measures will include laboratory-confirmed viral respiratory infections, acute respiratory illness, and influenza-like illness. Participant exposures to patients, coworkers, and others with symptoms and signs of respiratory infection, both within and beyond the workplace, will be recorded in daily diaries. Adherence to study protocols will be monitored by the study team. ResPECT is designed to better understand the extent to which N95s and MMs reduce clinical illness among Healthcare Personnel. A fully successful study would produce clinically relevant results that help clinician-leaders make reasoned decisions about protection of Healthcare Personnel against occupationally acquired respiratory infections and prevention of spread within Healthcare systems. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT01249625 (11/29/2010).
Nasia Safdar - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
viral sequencing to investigate sources of sars cov 2 infection in us Healthcare Personnel
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2021Co-Authors: Katarina M Braun, Gage K Moreno, Ashley Buys, Elizabeth D Somsen, Max Bobholz, Molly A Accola, Laura Anderson, William M Rehrauer, David A Baker, Nasia SafdarAbstract:BACKGROUND: Healthcare Personnel (HCP) are at increased risk of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We posit current infection control guidelines generally protect HCP from SARS-CoV-2 infection in a Healthcare setting. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, we use viral genomics to investigate the likely source of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCP at a major academic medical institution in the Upper Midwest of the United States between 25 March - 27 December, 2020. We obtain limited epidemiological data through informal interviews and review of the electronic health record. We combine epidemiological information with Healthcare-associated viral sequences and with viral sequences collected in the broader community to infer the most likely source of infection in HCP. RESULTS: We investigated SARS-CoV-2 infection clusters involving 95 HCP and 137 possible patient contact sequences. The majority of HCP infections could not be linked to a patient or co-worker (55/95; 57.9%) and were genetically similar to viruses circulating concurrently in the community. We found 10.5% of infections could be traced to a coworker (10/95). Strikingly, only 4.2% of HCP infections could be traced to a patient source (4/95). CONCLUSIONS: Infections among HCP add further strain to the Healthcare system and put patients, HCP, and communities at risk. We found no evidence for Healthcare-associated transmission in the majority of HCP infections evaluated here. Though we cannot rule out the possibility of cryptic Healthcare-associated transmission, it appears that HCP most commonly becomes infected with SARS-CoV-2 via community exposure. This emphasizes the ongoing importance of mask-wearing, physical distancing, robust testing programs, and rapid distribution of vaccines.
-
viral sequencing reveals us Healthcare Personnel rarely become infected with sars cov 2 through patient contact
medRxiv, 2021Co-Authors: Katarina M Braun, Nasia Safdar, Gage K Moreno, Ashley Buys, Max Bobholz, Molly A Accola, Laura Anderson, William M Rehrauer, David A Baker, Alexander J LepakAbstract:Summary Background Healthcare Personnel (HCP) are at increased risk of infection with the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2019 virus (SARS-CoV-2). Between 12 March 2020 and 10 January 2021, >1,170 HCP tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at a major academic medical institution in the Upper Midwest of the United States. We aimed to understand the sources of infections in HCP and to evaluate the efficacy of infection control procedures used at this institution to protect HCP from Healthcare-associated transmission. Methods In this retrospective case series, we used viral genomics to investigate the likely source of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 96 HCP where epidemiological data alone could not be used to rule out Healthcare-associated transmission. We obtained limited epidemiological data through informal interviews and review of the electronic health record. We combined viral sequence data and available epidemiological information to infer the most likely source of HCP infection. Findings We investigated 32 SARS-CoV-2 infection clusters involving 96 HCP, 140 possible patient contacts, and 1 household contact (total n = 237). Of these, 182 sequences met quality standards and were used for downstream analysis. We found the majority of HCP infections could not be linked to a patient or co-worker and therefore likely occurred in the outside community (58/96; 60.4%). We found a smaller percentage could be traced to a coworker (10/96; 10.4%) or were part of a patient-employee cluster (12/96; 12.5%). Strikingly, the smallest proportion of HCP infections could be clearly traced to a patient source (4/96; 4.2%). Interpretation Infection control procedures, consistently followed, offer significant protection to HCP caring for COVID-19 patients in a representative American academic medical institution. Rapid SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing in Healthcare settings can be used retrospectively to reconstruct the likely source of HCP infection when epidemiological data are not available or are inconclusive. Understanding the source of SARS-CoV-2 infection can then be used prospectively to adjust and improve infection control practices and guidelines. Funding This project was funded in part through a COVID-19 Response grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to T.C.F. and D.H.O. Author N.S. is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Institute (NIAID) Grant 1DP2AI144244-01. Research in context Evidence before this study On 16 January 2021 we searched for “SARS-CoV-2” AND “Healthcare workers” AND “viral sequencing” in Google Scholar. This search returned 57 results, and included a number of preprint articles. We found two studies that used viral sequencing to investigate Healthcare-associated outbreaks in the Netherlands 1 and the United Kingdom 2. To our knowledge, no study has used viral sequencing to specifically investigate the source of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Healthcare workers in the United States. Although we and others have written about the potential utility of sequencing as an infection control asset 3–6, few have demonstrated the practical application of such efforts. Added value of this study Our study suggests infection control measures in place at the institution evaluated in this case series are largely protecting Healthcare Personnel (HCP) from Healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 infections. Even so, the majority of Healthcare-associated infections we did identify appeared to be linked to HCP-to-HCP spread so additional messaging and guidelines to reduce HCP-to-HCP spread in and out of the workplace may be warranted. In addition, we demonstrated how rapid viral sequencing can be combined with, even limited, epidemiological information to reconstruct Healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Implications of all the available evidence Healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 infections negatively affect HCP, patients, and communities. Infections among HCP add further strain to the Healthcare system and put patients and other HCP at risk. We found the majority of HCP infections appeared to be acquired through community exposure so measures to reduce community spread are critical. This further emphasizes the importance of mask-wearing, physical distancing, robust testing programs, and the rapid distribution of vaccines.
-
Healthcare Personnel attire and devices as fomites a systematic review
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2016Co-Authors: Nicholas Haun, Christopher Hooperlane, Nasia SafdarAbstract:BACKGROUND Transmission of pathogens within the hospital environment remains a hazard for hospitalized patients. Healthcare Personnel clothing and devices carried by them may harbor pathogens and contribute to the risk of pathogen transmission. OBJECTIVE To examine bacterial contamination of Healthcare Personnel attire and commonly used devices. METHODS Systematic review. RESULTS Of 1,175 studies screened, 72 individual studies assessed contamination of a variety of items, including white coats, neckties, stethoscopes, and mobile electronic devices, with varied pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus, gram-negative rods, and enterococci. Contamination rates varied significantly across studies and by device but in general ranged from 0 to 32% for methicillin-resistant S. aureus and gram-negative rods. Enterococcus was a less common contaminant. Few studies explicitly evaluated for the presence of Clostridium difficile. Sampling and microbiologic techniques varied significantly across studies. Four studies evaluated for possible connection between Healthcare Personnel contaminants and clinical isolates with no unequivocally direct link identified. CONCLUSIONS Further studies to explore the relationship between Healthcare Personnel attire and devices and clinical infection are needed. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1-7.
