Personal protective equipment processes and rationale for the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit during the 2014 activations for Ebola virus disease

Determining training and education needs pertaining to highly infectious disease preparedness and response: A gap analysis survey of US emergency medical services practitioners

“…Furthermore, frequently responding to events outside of the confines of a hospital exposes EMS practitioners' PPE to variability in the environment (ie, weather and concrete surfaces) that can significantly influence PPE degradation more than the relative smooth finishes and predictable environment within a health care facility. 1 Most did report having protocols or procedures in place for selecting differing PPE ensembles, ensuring adequate supply in the event of increased demand, and monitoring stockpiled PPE for expiration dates and storage.…”

“…The 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak resulted in best practices on patient care and supplemental clinical activities within health care settings to be widely disseminated. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Highly infectious diseases (HIDs) like EVD tend to have high case fatalities; are easily transmissible from human to human; and require intensive medical, public health, and community control measures. 17 Consequently, the EVD outbreak underscored the lack of consistent guidelines, training, and education for workers outside of traditional hospital settings who might also encounter potential HID scenarios, and subsequently respond to these hazards.…”

Clinician perceptions of respiratory infection risk; a rationale for research into mask use in routine practice

“…The method of training is therefore an important consideration for effective retention of knowledge and skills over time. Several studies argue for improving the evaluation and training of HCWs using PPE for infectious diseases and examining the effectiveness of various teaching approaches [43,44]. The recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak instigated intensive PPE training around the world, with a focus on donning and doffing protocols to maximise HCW safety.…”

Call for improvement in personal protective equipment guidance and research

“…In the care of patients with Ebola virus disease, a key principle was to remove all body PPE before removing the facial PPE in the event of aerosolization as the gown is removed, protecting mucous membranes. 8 Example 2 shows the jumbled removal of gown and gloves together. This method is ripe with opportunities for losing control of the gloves, which are the most contaminated elements of the PPE worn.…”