Personal protective equipment related symptoms of epidemic prevention personnel in makeshift hospital

Abstract

Objective To explore the uncomfortable symptoms and solutions related to personal protective equipment (PPE) of epidemic prevention personnel in makeshift COVID-19 hospital. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 158 people who participated in the fight against COVID-19 in Shanghai from April to June 2022. According to the PPE wearing frequencies and durations, the differences between the groups with PPE-related symptoms were observed, and the problems related to wearing PPE were displayed according to the survey results. Results There were 151 valid questionnaires, and the effective response rate was 95.6%. Those who wore PPE for more than 3 d per week and for more than 3 h/d had a higher proportion of PPE-related symptoms, and some of the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). For pressure ulcers and medical goggles-related symptoms, the proportion of patients with any uncomfortable symptoms was higher in the group with PPE wearing < 3 d/week and < 3 h/d (P < 0.01). According to the results of questionnaire, 33% of the personnel believed that the related discomfort caused by wearing PPE could not be dealt in time, and 15% of the personnel thought that the education related to epidemic prevention was insufficient. Conclusion Reducing the frequency and length of time of PPE wearing, providing sufficient personnel and materials and strengthening health protection are the keys to ensuring safe of epidemic prevention workers.

Keywords

• covid-19
• epidemic prevention and control
• makeshift hospital
• personal protective equipment
• occupational health