Examples of Antipathogenic Safety Measures in Hospital Environments

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Introduction

Viruses, Bacteria, and even Fungi are found in hospital environments every day. These pathogens lurk inside hospitals, replicating quickly if unchecked, and can trigger a potentially deadly outbreak that can endanger patient and staff lives in hospitals. Hospital workers are working diligently to keep these pathogens at bay, before they can become prominent enough to cause widespread harm. Workers utilize safety and preventative measures to accomplish their task. Thanks to their efforts, many patient and staff lives are saved. In this blog, I will outline some antipathogenic measures that help keep our hospitals safe.

Droplet Precautions

Droplet Precautions are designed to protect against airborne respiratory illnesses that are commonly transmitted through tiny droplets in the air. According to Guidelines for prevention of hospital acquired infections, "[droplets are] generated by coughing, sneezing, and talking, or a short distance travelling, for example, influenza virus, Bordetella pertussis, Hemophilus influenzae (meningitis, pneumonia), Neisseria meningitidis (meningitis, pneumonia and bacteremia), Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus, Group A Streptococcus, adenovirus and rhinovirus." (Mehta et al., 2014) One droplet precaution is the isolation of infected people away from the uninfected populace. Isolation aims to prevent the spread of a pathogen into a healthy population which can trigger an outbreak. Another droplet precaution is masks. N95 masks provide the most protection from airborne droplets containing pathogens, as they block approximately 95% of airborne droplets from. N95 masks are prioritized to be supplied to frontline health workers caring for sterile patients. Hospitals commonly advise people who are entering sterile environments to wear a mask. (Mehta et al., 2014)

Contact Precautions

Contact precautions are safety measures that prevent pathogens prone to transmission from infected surfaces from patient use. An example of a contact precaution is the regular sanitization and disinfection of rooms prioritized for contact precautions. Cleaning is prioritized towards frequently touched surfaces (at least once a day), along with equipment near the patient (at least once a day) to eliminate as many pathogens as possible. Common equipment used to carry out contact precaution protocols are the mandating of the use of gloves and gowns and other appropriate protective equipment. Another example of a contact precaution practice is the use of disposable equipment, such that it will be disposed before the risk of transmission via infected surfaces is prone. (CDC)

Personal Protective Equipment

As mentioned earlier, personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for the execution of health precautions such as droplet and contact precautions. PPE is designed to provide protection via a physical barrier between the wearer and the environment surrounding them. Specific PPE is chosen based on the environment. Factors to consider before workers choose appropriate PPE include but are not limited to the specific hazard, material of protection, size of pathogens, air temperature, and air quality. Examples of common PPE used for antipathogenic purposes include gowns, masks, gloves, face shields, safety glasses, respirators, protective boots, and more. (CDC, NIOSH)

Conclusion

Antipathogenic measures in hospitals help contribute to the safety of patients, visitors, and staff of hospital environments. Health measures such as droplet precautions, contact precautions, and personal protective equipment help achieve this goal. While ensuring these measures are in place, hospitals can allocate more resources and time into patients and hospital growth, instead of standing unprepared for potential pathogenic hazards, allowing a flourishing environment of care, proactive caution, and efficiency.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (n.d.). Personal Protective Equipment. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emres/ppe.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Transmission-Based Precautions. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/basics/transmission-based-precautions.html#anchor_1564057963

Mehta, Y., Gupta, A., Todi, S., Myatra, S., Samaddar, D. P., Patil, V., Bhattacharya, P. K., & Ramasubban, S. (2014). Guidelines for prevention of hospital acquired infections. Indian journal of critical care medicine : peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, 18(3), 149–163. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-5229.128705