Dataset Information

Challenges of personal protective equipment use among ophthalmologists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter international study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To explore the possible challenges and difficulties of using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in ophthalmic practice during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods

This is a multicenter, international survey among practicing ophthalmologists across different countries. The survey was conducted from September 9th to October 24th, 2020. It included a total of 23 questions that navigated through the currently adopted recommendations in different clinical situations. The survey also assessed the convenience of using various PPE in ophthalmic practice and addressed the clarity of the examination field while using various PPE during clinical or surgical procedures.

Results

One hundred and seventy-two ophthalmologists completed the survey (101 from Egypt, 50 from the USA, and 21 from four other countries). The analysis of the responses showed that most ophthalmologists use face masks without significant problems during their examinations, while face shields followed by protective goggles were the most inconvenient PPE in the current ophthalmic practice. Moreover, most of the participants (133, 77.3%) noticed an increase in their examination time when using PPE. Furthermore, a considerable percentage of the respondents (70, 40.7%) stopped using one or more of the PPE due to inconvenience or discomfort.

Conclusions

Due to the unique nature of the ophthalmic examination, certain PPE are not ophthalmologist-friendly. Innovative PPE should be tailored for prompt, more convenient, and clearer ophthalmological practice.

SUBMITTER: Ashour DM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9111902 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Challenges of personal protective equipment use among ophthalmologists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter international study.

Ashour Doaa Maamoun DM Elkitkat Rania Serag RS Gabr Hesham H Yosef Mostafa M Singh Grewal Dilraj D Saleh Mohamed Ibrahim MI

European journal of ophthalmology 20210627 3

<h4>Purpose</h4>To explore the possible challenges and difficulties of using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in ophthalmic practice during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>This is a multicenter, international survey among practicing ophthalmologists across different countries. The survey was conducted from September 9th to October 24th, 2020. It included a total of 23 questions that navigated through the currently adopted recommendations in different clinical ...[more]

PMID: 34180262

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Project description:BackgroundAvailability and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is of particular importance in Low and Middle-Income countries (LMICs) where disease outbreaks other than COVID-19 are frequent and health workers are scarce. This study assesses the availability of necessary PPE items during the COVID-19 pandemic at health facilities in seven LMICs.MethodsData were collected using a rapid-cycle survey among 1554 health facilities in seven LMICs via phone-based surveys between August 2020 and December 2021. We gathered data on the availability of World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended PPE items and the use of items when examining patients suspected to be infected with COVID-19. We further investigated the implementation of service adaptation measures in a severe shortage of PPE.ResultsThere were major deficiencies in PPE availability at health facilities. Almost 3 out of 10 health facilities reported a stock-out of medical masks on the survey day. Forty-six percent of facilities did not have respirator masks, and 16% did not have any gloves. We show that only 43% of health facilities had sufficient PPE to comply with WHO guidelines. Even when all items were available, healthcare workers treating COVID-19 suspected patients were reported to wear all the recommended equipment in only 61% of health facilities. We did not find a statistically significant difference in implementing service adaptation measures between facilities experiencing a severe shortage or not.ConclusionAfter more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall availability of PPE remained low in our sample of low and middle-income countries. Although essential, the availability of PPE did not guarantee the proper use of the equipment. The lack of PPE availability and improper use of available PPE enable preventable COVID-19 transmission in health facilities, leading to greater morbidity and mortality and risking the continuity of service delivery by healthcare workers.

Dataset Information

Challenges of personal protective equipment use among ophthalmologists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter international study.

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Challenges of personal protective equipment use among ophthalmologists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter international study.

Similar Datasets

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