Risk Factors for SARS Spread in Hospitals Identified
Risk Factors for SARS Spread in Hospitals IdentifiedNEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 28 - Chinese researchers have identified a number of factors that appear to facilitate nosocomial outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The risk factors include the distance between beds and the need for bi-level positive airway pressure ventilation.
"The lesson we learned during the SARS epidemic was that the hospital can be a breeding ground for infectious disease," senior author Dr. Joseph J. Sung, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said in a statement.
"Nosocomial infection can amplify an infectious disease outbreak," Dr. Sung continued. "It is very important to provide adequate space in hospital wards and implement effective infection control measures in order to avoid cross-contamination in hospitals."
As reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases for April 15, Dr. Sung's team performed a case-control study of 124 hospital wards in Guangzhou and Hong Kong to identify factors associated with nosocomial spread of SARS. Case wards were those in which an admitted SARS case gave rise to other cases, while control wards involved admitted SARS cases that did not lead to other cases.
On final analysis, six factors were identified that affected the risk of nosocomial SARS transmission: availability of washing or changing facilities for staff (OR = 0.12), the performance of resuscitation on the ward (OR = 3.81), host patients requiring oxygen therapy (OR = 4.30), minimum bed distance of 1 m or less (OR = 6.94), staff members working while they had symptoms (OR = 10.55), and host patients in need of bi-level positive airway pressure ventilation (OR= 11.82).
Further studies are needed to better understand why some of these factors, such as oxygen and ventilation therapy, may promote the spread of SARS, Dr. Sung commented.
He added these findings "are relevant not only for SARS, but also for other infections transmitted by droplets, such as influenza."
Clin Infect Dis 2007;44:1017-1025.
页:
[1]
