Self-Evaluation of the Compliance With Hand Hygiene Regulations by Paramedics in Emergency Response Teams

Abstract

Aim: Infection with biological factors is a significant issue which occurs during the undertaking of professional tasks in the daily work of paramedics in Emergency Response Teams. Due to the volatile conditions of the work environment, paramedics as an occupational group are at a higher risk of exposure to biological factors (e.g., hepatotropic viruses (HBV, HCV); human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria; influenza virus; or contempo-rarily the SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses). The possibility of infection grows in situations where work safety and hygiene regulations are not followed. The aim of the following work is the evaluation of the compli¬ance with hygienic standards and the knowledge regarding the prophylaxis of infection among paramedics. Material and methods: The study was carried out between May and September of 2019, with the use of diagnostic survey methodology on 238 (223 male, 15 female) paramedics in mobile Emergency Response Teams from the Maso¬vian voivodship. The mean age was 39.03±9.27 years for males, and 31.93±7.76 years for females. Results: 59.66% of the participants (n = 142) report always following the recommended hygiene procedures. 50.85% (n = 121) of the participants indicated hands playing a significant role in the spread of infection. Co-workers followed hygiene procedures at a satisfactory level for 53.78% (n =128) of the participants. Conclusions: There is a wide range of factors which limit respecting hygiene procedures, the most important of which being sudden and unforeseeable situations. Issues of the broadly understood hand hygiene practice should be a con¬stant element of prophylaxis in ERTs.