A Bacteriophage-based Validation of a Personal Protective Equipment Doffing Procedure to Be Used with High-consequence Pathogens

Overview

Journal Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Specialties Health Services
Infectious Diseases
Nursing
Public Health

Date 2024 May 6

PMID 38706211

Authors

Brandon A Berryhill

Kylie B Burke

Andrew P Smith

Jill S Morgan

Jessica Tarabay

Josia Mamora

Jay B Varkey

Joel M Mumma

Colleen S Kraft

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To determine if the high-level personal protective equipment used in the treatment of high-consequence infectious diseases is effective at stopping the spread of pathogens to healthcare personnel (HCP) while doffing.

Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is fundamental to the safety of HCPs. HCPs treating patients with high-consequence infectious diseases use several layers of PPE, forming complex protective ensembles. With high-containment PPE, step-by-step procedures are often used for donning and doffing to minimize contamination risk to the HCP, but these procedures are rarely empirically validated and instead rely on following infection prevention best practices.

Methods: A doffing protocol video for a high-containment PPE ensemble was evaluated to determine potential contamination pathways. These potential pathways were tested using fluorescence and genetically marked bacteriophages.

Results: The experiments revealed existing protocols permit contamination pathways allowing for transmission of bacteriophages to HCPs. Updates to the doffing protocols were generated based on the discovered contamination pathways. This updated doffing protocol eliminated the movement of viable bacteriophages from the outside of the PPE to the skin of the HCP.

Conclusions: Our results illustrate the need for quantitative, scientific investigations of infection prevention practices, such as doffing PPE.

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