Emergency Department Workers’ Perceptions of Effectiveness and Reported Compliance of Infection Control Measures after Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Outbreaks

Jeong, Gabyong; Lee, Tae Rim; Hwang, Sung Yeon; Cha, Won Chul; Shin, Tae Gun; Sim, Min Sub; Jo, Ik Joon; Song, Keun Jeong; Rhee, Joong Eui; Jeong, Yeon Kwon

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 27(4); 2016 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2016;27(4): 328-335.

MERS 발생 후 손 위생 및 개인보호장구에 대한 응급실 근무자들의 효과성 인식 및 수행률 조사

정갑용, 이태림, 황승연, 차원철, 신태건, 심민섭, 조익준, 송근정, 이중의, 정연권

성균관대학교 의과대학 삼성서울병원 응급의학과

Emergency Department Workers’ Perceptions of Effectiveness and Reported Compliance of Infection Control Measures after Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Outbreaks

Gabyong Jeong, Tae Rim Lee, Sung Yeon Hwang, Won Chul Cha, Tae Gun Shin, Min Sub Sim, Ik Joon Jo, Keun Jeong Song, Joong Eui Rhee, Yeon Kwon Jeong

Department of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence

Min Sub Sim ,Tel: 02-3410-2053, Fax: 02-3410-0012, Email: minsub01.sim@samsung.com,

Received: May 18, 2016; Revised: May 19, 2016 Accepted: July 4, 2016. Published online: August 31, 2016.

ABSTRACT

Purpose:
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks occurred in Korea during the year 2015, with the involvement of 186 patients in a relatively short period of time. The epidemiological pattern in South Korea was hospital-associated. Infection control plans for all hospitals were implemented to stop the spread of and to protect the healthcare workers from MERS infection. Such enhanced guidelines for infection control measures might affect healthcare workers. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes of tertiary emergency department healthcare workers’ perception and compliance to hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) before and after the MERS outbreak.
Method:
A written questionnaire was administered to members in the emergency department at Samsung Medical Center. Participants were asked to rate the combined overall effectiveness of hand hygiene and PPE and to report their compliance on a 5-point scale. This survey was conducted between 11th and 26th of September 2015.
Results:
The total number of participants was 123. Perception of effectiveness before and after the MERS outbreak was improved on hand hygiene, N-95 masks, gowns, eye protection, and gloves, except surgical masks (3.65 vs. 3.68, p=0.714). Respondents showed a statistically higher compliance with hand washing and PPE. Compliance with hand hygiene and PPE showed a dependency on their patients’ symptoms; symptoms of fever or fever with upper respiratory symptoms were reported with statistically increased compliance, with the exception of surgical masks.
Conclusion:
Infection control measures except surgical masks were perceived to be more effective post the MERS outbreaks. The emergency department’s workers reported increased compliance on hand hygiene and PPE, except surgical masks.

Key words: Compliance, Hand hygiene, Middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Personal protective equipment