The infection prevention and control practices of the ambulance service

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this research was to comprehensively evaluate the infection prevention and control practices of the ambulance service. Methods: This cross section survey was carried out in Izmir between June and September 2010. The study sample consisted of 213 ambulance service workers and all the emergency and rescue station buildings and ambulances. A questionnaire and two check-list forms were used as a means of data collection. Results: According to the employees' responses, an average of 25 (24.86±4.09) of 40 items of infection prevention and control criteria that are required to be met for the ambulance service were met, while 15 were not. In the observations, it was found that the infection prevention and control criteria for ambulances were met at an average of 32.96±5.22 out of 40. It was found that 33 out of 50 items of the criteria for infection prevention and control in ambulances were met while 17 were not. According to observations, an average of 6 (5.88±1.52) of 17 items of infection prevention and control criteria for emergency and rescue station buildings, were met while 11 were not. Conclusion: The questionnaire responses given by the ambulance personnel and observations made by the researchers in the ambulances and emergency and rescue station buildings suggest that the criteria set for infection prevention and control practices were not met at a satisfactory level, which meant the infection prevention and control practices were not sufficient. It is advised that an IPC guideline should be prepared to include standards and procedures to be followed by ambulance service personnel.Keywords: Emergency medical service; ambulance; ambulance; infection prevention and control practices; decontamination. Akbıyık, A., Esen Türeyen, A., & Özinel, M. A. (2017). The infection prevention and control practices of the ambulance service. Journal of Human Sciences, 14(2), 1225Sciences, 14(2), -1241.3943 IntroductionToday, infection prevention and control (IPC) practices recognized as a quality standard in healthcare institutions are more hospital-based. On the other hand, IPC practices in pre-hospital emergency medical service (EMS) also known as the ambulance service (AS), which is one of the healthcare institutions, have been ignored (Alves and Bissell 2008; Noh et al. 2011a;Ro et al. 2012).As in all health institutions, three components of the AS -the healthcare worker, the patient and the unit where the patient is transported -carry a risk of transmission of infectious agents. AS staff are a high risk group because of working condition such as the obligation to perform medical procedures while the ambulance is moving, lack of knowledge of the patient's disease history (Porter/patient HBV, HCV, HIV etc.), intervention in traumatic injuries, having to carry out a medical intervention in a confined space or a dark environment, and limited time for decontamination of the contaminated medical equipment and patient's cabin (Becker et al. 2003;Boal, Hales, and Ross 2005; Gershon et al. 1985;Hochr...