COVID-19 personal protective equipment protocol compliance audit

Shoena Wotherspoon; Sheree Conroy

doi:10.1016/j.idh.2021.06.002

COVID-19 personal protective equipment protocol compliance audit

Infect Dis Health. 2021 Nov;26(4):273-275. doi: 10.1016/j.idh.2021.06.002. Epub 2021 Jun 22.

Authors

Shoena Wotherspoon¹, Sheree Conroy²

Affiliations

¹ Medical Education Unit, Toowoomba Hospital, Toowoomba, 4350, Australia; University of Queensland Rural Clinical School, University of Queensland, Toowoomba, 4350, Australia.
² Medical Education Unit, Toowoomba Hospital, Toowoomba, 4350, Australia; University of Queensland Rural Clinical School, University of Queensland, Toowoomba, 4350, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].

Abstract

Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance is important to reduce the rate of transmission of virulent pathogens to health care workers. Medical officer compliance with PPE protocol for COVID-19 was audited in a regional hospital in Australia early in the pandemic response.

Methods: Compliance was assessed based on the order and technique of donning and doffing PPE, with medical officers from multiple departments and levels of seniority audited.

Results: Average compliance from all participants was 58.61% with donning and 68.84% with doffing.

Conclusion: Medical Officer compliance with PPE donning and doffing was poor and additional training was required.

Keywords: Covid-19; Hospital; Medical officer; Pandemic; Personal protective equipment.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Guideline Adherence
Humans
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
Personal Protective Equipment*
SARS-CoV-2