Protecting healthcare workers in an acute care environment during epidemics: lessons learned from the SARS outbreak

• Main Authors: John Casken, Denise L. Cohen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Professor Despina Sapountzi-Krepia 2011-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Caring Sciences
• Subjects: SARS lessons; infectious disease control; acute care and infectious disease control; acute care and SARS
• Online Access: http://internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/Vol4_Issue1_02_Cohen.pdf
• ISSN: 1791-5201; 1792-037X

During the 2002-2003 the SARS outbreak resulted in 8,450 illnesses and 812 deaths. Out of these documented cases 1706 were among healthcare workers (HCWs)The purpose of this paper is to focus on and examine the details of infection control (IC) measures and which of these measures appear to be the most effective in stopping disease spread. Historically, HCWs have had poor compliance with the use of IC measures prior to the SARS outbreak. A number of lessons were learned from the SARS epidemic that should be incorporated into healthcare institutions policies and procedures. They include the following: an emphasis on the correct and immediate use of IC measures; an increased focus on HCWs recognizing early perceived threats; healthcare institutions should mandate routine in-house education with periodic updates on IC measures; administrators need to acknowledge and encourage role models among staff; engineeringcontrols should be put in place to protect staff from pathogens; and finally, there should be clear and constant communication between administration and staff.