Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T02:06:51.687Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Assessment of Self-Contamination During Removal of Personal Protective Equipment for Ebola Patient Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2016

Lisa M. Casanova*
Affiliation:
Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
Lisa J. Teal
Affiliation:
Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Healthcare, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Emily E. Sickbert-Bennett
Affiliation:
Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Healthcare, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Deverick J. Anderson
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Daniel J. Sexton
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
William A. Rutala
Affiliation:
Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Healthcare, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
David J. Weber
Affiliation:
Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Healthcare, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
*
Address correspondence to Lisa M. Casanova, PhD, to Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3984, Atlanta, GA 30303 ([email protected]).

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

Ebola virus disease (EVD) places healthcare personnel (HCP) at high risk for infection during patient care, and personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical. Protocols for EVD PPE doffing have not been validated for prevention of viral self-contamination. Using surrogate viruses (non-enveloped MS2 and enveloped Φ6), we assessed self-contamination of skin and clothes when trained HCP doffed EVD PPE using a standardized protocol.

METHODS

A total of 15 HCP donned EVD PPE for this study. Virus was applied to PPE, and a trained monitor guided them through the doffing protocol. Of the 15 participants, 10 used alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) for glove and hand hygiene and 5 used hypochlorite for glove hygiene and ABHR for hand hygiene. Inner gloves, hands, face, and scrubs were sampled after doffing.

RESULTS

After doffing, MS2 virus was detected on the inner glove worn on the dominant hand for 8 of 15 participants, on the non-dominant inner glove for 6 of 15 participants, and on scrubs for 2 of 15 participants. All MS2 on inner gloves was observed when ABHR was used for glove hygiene; none was observed when hypochlorite was used. When using hypochlorite for glove hygiene, 1 participant had MS2 on hands, and 1 had MS2 on scrubs.

CONCLUSIONS

A structured doffing protocol using a trained monitor and ABHR protects against enveloped virus self-contamination. Non-enveloped virus (MS2) contamination was detected on inner gloves, possibly due to higher resistance to ABHR. Doffing protocols protective against all viruses need to incorporate highly effective glove and hand hygiene agents.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
© 2016 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Edmond, MB, Diekema, DJ, Perencevich, EN. Ebola virus disease and the need for new personal protective equipment. JAMA 2014;312:24952496.Google Scholar
2. Ebola virus disease outbreak. World Health Organization website. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/. Published 2016. Accessed February 5, 2016.Google Scholar
3. Health worker Ebola infections in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone: a preliminary report, 21 May 2015. World Health Organization website. http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/ebola/health-worker-infections/en/. Published 2015. Accessed February 5, 2016.Google Scholar
4. Kreuels, B, Wichmann, D, Emmerich, P, et al. A case of severe Ebola virus infection complicated by Gram-negative septicemia. N Engl J Med 2014;371:23942401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Lyon, GM, Mehta, AK, Varkey, JB, et al. Clinical care of two patients with Ebola virus disease in the United States. N Engl J Med 2014;371:24022409.Google Scholar
6. Guidance on personal protective equipment to be used by healthcare workers during management of patients with confirmed Ebola or persons under investigation (PUIs) for Ebola who are clinically unstable or have bleeding, vomiting, or diarrhea in US hospitals, including procedures for donning and doffing PPE. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/healthcare-us/ppe/guidance.html. Published 2015. Accessed February 1, 2016.Google Scholar
7. Personal protective equipment in the context of filovirus disease outbreak response. World Health Organization website. http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/ebola/ppe-guideline/en/. Published 2014. Accessed February 1, 2016.Google Scholar
8. Mitchell, R, Roth, V, Gravel, D, et al. Are health care workers protected? An observational study of selection and removal of personal protective equipment in Canadian acute care hospitals. Am J Infect Control 2013;41:240244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Zellmer, C, Van Hoof, S, Safdar, N. Variation in health care worker removal of personal protective equipment. Am J Infect Control 2015;43:750751.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Tomas, ME, Kundrapu, S, Thota, P, et al. Contamination of health care personnel during removal of personal protective equipment. JAMA Internal Med 2015;175:19041910.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Casanova, L, Alfano-Sobsey, E, Rutala, WA, Weber, DJ, Sobsey, M. Virus transfer from personal protective equipment to healthcare employees’ skin and clothing. Emerg Infect Dis 2008;14:1291.Google Scholar
12. Guo, Y, Li, Y, Wong, PL. Environment and body contamination: a comparison of two different removal methods in three types of personal protective clothing. Am J Infect Control 2014;42:e39e45.Google Scholar
13. Zamora, JE, Murdoch, J, Simchison, B, Day, AG. Contamination: a comparison of 2 personal protective systems. Can Med Assoc J 2006;175:249254.Google Scholar
14. Fischer, WA, Hynes, NA, Perl, TM. Protecting health care workers from Ebola: personal protective equipment is critical but is not enough. Ann Internal Med 2014;161:753754.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Casanova, LM, Rutala, WA, Weber, DJ, Sobsey, MD. Effect of single-versus double-gloving on virus transfer to health care workers’ skin and clothing during removal of personal protective equipment. Am J Infect Control 2012;40:369374.Google Scholar
16. Wolf, T, Kann, G, Becker, S, et al. Severe Ebola virus disease with vascular leakage and multiorgan failure: treatment of a patient in intensive care. Lancet 2014;385:14281435.Google Scholar
17. Schieffelin, JS, Shaffer, JG, Goba, A, et al. Clinical illness and outcomes in patients with Ebola in Sierra Leone. N Engl J Med 2014;371:20922100.Google Scholar
18. Casanova, LM, Weaver, SR. Evaluation of eluents for the recovery of an enveloped virus from hands by whole‐hand sampling. J Appl Microbiol 2015;118:12101216.Google Scholar
19. Casanova, L, Rutala, W, Weber, D, Sobsey, M. Methods for the recovery of a model virus from healthcare personal protective equipment. J Appl Microbiol 2009;106:12441251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. Bell, T, Smoot, J, Patterson, J, Smalligan, R, Jordan, R. Ebola virus disease: the use of fluorescents as markers of contamination for personal protective equipment. IDCases 2015;2:2730.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Grayson, ML, Melvani, S, Druce, J, et al. Efficacy of soap and water and alcohol-based hand-rub preparations against live H1N1 influenza virus on the hands of human volunteers. Clin Infect Dis 2009;48:285291.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Kampf, G, Grotheer, D, Steinmann, J. Efficacy of three ethanol-based hand rubs against feline calicivirus, a surrogate virus for norovirus. J Hosp Infect 2005;60:144149.Google Scholar
23. Larson, EL, Cohen, B, Baxter, KA. Analysis of alcohol-based hand sanitizer delivery systems: efficacy of foam, gel, and wipes against influenza A (H1N1) virus on hands. Am J Infect Control 2012;40:806809.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24. Sickbert-Bennett, EE, Weber, DJ, Gergen-Teague, MF, Sobsey, MD, Samsa, GP, Rutala, WA. Comparative efficacy of hand hygiene agents in the reduction of bacteria and viruses. Am J Infect Control 2005;33:6777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Casanova supplementary material

Casanova supplementary material 1

Download Casanova supplementary material(File)
File 15.3 KB