Emergency department staff can effectively resuscitate in level C personal protective equipment

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: ED staff are expected to perform resuscitation of trauma victims of chemical, biological and radiation incidents while wearing level C personal protective equipment (PPE). The present project assessed the subjective discomfort, physiological impact and performance of staff wearing PPE. METHODS: A paired intervention study of ED staff in a resuscitation scenario comparing task performance wearing gown and gloves with PPE. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and by objective and subjective measurements. RESULTS: Seven ED doctors and 11 ED nurses were enrolled. Nine had previous PPE training although only one had used PPE clinically. Overall, ED sta..