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Proactive Risk Assessment for Ebola-Infected Patients: A Systematic Approach to Identifying and Minimizing Risk to Healthcare Personnel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2016

Rosemarie Fernandez ,
Steven Mitchell ,
Ross Ehrmantraut ,
John Scott Meschke ,
Nancy J. Simcox ,
Sarah A. Wolz  and
Sarah Henrickson Parker
Rosemarie Fernandez*
Affiliation:
Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Steven Mitchell
Affiliation:
Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Ross Ehrmantraut
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery and Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
John Scott Meschke
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington
Nancy J. Simcox
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington
Sarah A. Wolz
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington
Sarah Henrickson Parker
Affiliation:
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Department of Psychology, and Department of Biological Science, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia.
*
Address correspondence to Rosemarie Fernandez, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359702, 325 Ninth St, Seattle, WA 98104 (fernanre@uw.edu).
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Abstract

Performing patient care while wearing high-level personal protective equipment presents risks to healthcare providers. Our failure mode effects analysis identified 81 overall risks associated with providing hygienic care and linen change to a patient with continuous watery stool. Implementation of checklists and scheduled pauses could potentially mitigate 76.5% of all risks.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:867–871

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 37 , Issue 7 , July 2016 , pp. 867 - 871
Copyright
© 2016 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved 

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References

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