Study Finds Most Healthcare Workers Improperly Remove Protective Gear, Increasing Contagion Risk

Most healthcare workers do not properly remove personal protective equipment (PPE) after treating an infectious patient, increasing the risk of spreading contagious diseases such as Ebola, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Only 13 percent of the healthcare workers in the study followed all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for safe PPE removal. The CDC guidelines call for workers to gently remove their gloves first, followed by their gowns from the back, and then leave the equipment in the patient’s isolation room.

The study by researchers from the University of Wisconsin observed 30 different healthcare professionals at five different hospital units as they came and went from patients’ rooms, according to a Fierce Healthcare article. The researchers found:

• 57 percent of the healthcare workers removed their gowns first, instead of their gloves.
• Half of the workers removed their gown “in a manner that was not gentle.”
• 40 percent of the healthcare workers disposed of the PPE in the hallway, rather than in the patient’s room.
• 53 percent of the workers wore the PPE in the hallway, rather than only in the patient’s room.
• 30 percent of the workers removed the PPE in the correct order “but did so with flourish,” increasing the risk of pathogen transmission.

The researchers also found that many of the healthcare workers failed to tie the back of their PPE gown, which can cause the gown to fall onto the patient and increase the risk of contamination. Some workers also rolled the equipment against their work clothes or bare hands, which also increases the risk of spreading disease, according to the study.

In the abstract of the study, the researchers said the poor compliance with PPE recommendations could be due to lack of awareness, time constraints, or lack of realization of the importance of proper removal of the equipment. This poor compliance also indicates a need for further education for healthcare workers and collaboration between hospital officials and workers to improve adherence to the guidelines.

The researchers concluded the study’s findings highlight the need for additional training in the use of PPE and the increased likelihood of accidental transmission of infectious diseases by healthcare workers.

“As a result of the current Ebola virus outbreak, the critical issue of proper PPE removal has come front and center,” the researchers wrote. “Healthcare facilities should use this opportunity of heightened interest to undertake practice improvement focused on PPE removal protocol, including technique, for all health care-associated conditions that require the donning and doffing of PPE.”

The attorneys of Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC, are committed to patient safety and represent patients who have been harmed by preventable medical errors in Seattle and across Washington. Schedule a free consultation by calling us or contacting us online.