COVID-19 infection is related to differences in the use of personal protective equipment by orthopaedic specialist trainees caring for hip fracture patients during the second surge of COVID-19 in the North West of England.
Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol
; 31(5): 989-993, 2021 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1263148
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Personal protective equipment (PPE) may protect health-care workers from COVID-19 infection and limit nosocomial spread to vulnerable hip fracture patients.METHODS:
We performed a cross-sectional survey amongst orthopaedic trainees to explore PPE practice in 19 hospitals caring for hip fracture patients in the North West of England.RESULTS:
During the second wave of the pandemic, 14/19 (74%) hospitals experienced an outbreak of COVID-19 amongst staff or patients on the orthopaedic wards. An FFP3 respirator mask was used by doctors in only 6/19 (32%) hospitals when seeing patients with COVID-19 and a cough and in 5/19 (26%) hospitals when seeing asymptomatic patients with COVID-19. A COVID-19 outbreak was reported in 11/13 (85%) orthopaedic units where staff wore fluid resistant surgical masks compared to 3/6 (50%) units using an FFP3 respirator mask (RR 1.69, 95% CI 0.74-3.89) when caring for symptomatic patients with COVID-19. Similarly, a COVID-19 outbreak was reported in more orthopaedic units caring for asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 where staff wore fluid resistant surgical masks (12/14 (86%)) as compared to an FFP3 respirator mask (2/5 (40%)) (RR 2.14, 95% CI 0.72-6.4).CONCLUSION:
Urgent re-evaluation of PPE use is required to reduce nosocomial spread of COVID-19, amongst highly vulnerable patients with hip fracture.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Orthopedics
/
Cross Infection
/
COVID-19
/
Hip Fractures
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S00590-021-03006-z
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