Infection prevention and control for the emergency medical services and 911 workforce / prepared for, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ; prepared by, Johns Hopkins University Evidence-based Practice Center ; investigators, J. Lee Jenkins, Edbert B. Hsu, Anna Russell, Allen Zhang, Lisa M. Wilson, Eric B. Bass

OBJECTIVES: To summarize current evidence on exposures to infectious pathogens in the emergency medical services (EMS) and 911 workforce, and on practices for preventing, recognizing, and controlling occupationally acquired infectious diseases and related exposures in that workforce. REVIEW METHODS: We obtained advice on how to answer four Guiding Questions by recruiting a panel of external experts on EMS clinicians, State-level EMS leadership, and programs relevant to EMS personnel, and by engaging representatives of professional societies in infectious diseases and emergency medicine. We searched PubMed(r), Embase(r), CINAHL(r), and SCOPUS from January 2006 to March 2022 for relevant studies. We also searched for reports from State and Federal Government agencies or nongovernmental organizations interested in infection prevention and control in the EMS and 911 workforce. RESULTS: Twenty-five observational studies reported on the epidemiology of infections in the EMS and 911 workforce. They did not report demographic differences except for a higher risk of hepatitis C in older workers and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in minorities. EMS clinicians certified/licensed in Advanced Life Support have a high risk for blood and fluid exposure, and EMS clinicians had a higher risk of hospitalization or death from SARS-CoV-2 than firefighters whose roles were not primarily related to medical care. Eleven observational studies reported on infection prevention and control practices (IPC), providing some evidence that hand hygiene, standard precautions, mandatory vaccine policies, and on-site vaccine clinics are effective. Research on IPC in EMS and 911 workers has increased significantly since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate evidence exists on the epidemiology of infections and effectiveness of IPC practices in EMS and 911 workers, including hand hygiene, standard precautions, mandatory vaccine policies, and vaccine clinics. Most evidence is observational, with widely varying methods, outcomes, and reporting. More research is needed on personal protective equipment effectiveness and vaccine acceptance, and better guidance is needed for research methods in the EMS and 911 worker setting..

Medienart:	E-Book

Erscheinungsjahr:	November 2022
Erschienen:	Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ; November 2022

Reihe:	Technical brief - number 42 AHRQ publication - no. 22(23)-EHC039

Sprache:	Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:	Jenkins, J. Lee [VerfasserIn]

Links:	www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov [teilw. kostenfrei]

Themen:	Emergency Medical Services Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional Systematic Review

Anmerkungen:	Includes bibliographical references. - Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed February 15, 2023)

Umfang:	1 online resource (1 PDF file (various pagings)) ; illustrations.

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):	1839558814