The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put forward a revised series of recommendations on the use of personal protective equipment in treating Ebola patients.
The new guidance, issued Oct. 20, closely mirrors the Ebola personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance issued by MSF (Doctors Without Borders).
©CDC / NIAID
The CDC updated its guidelines regarding the use of personal protective equipment when treating patients who may have been infected with the Ebola virus (pictured).
The CDC’s recommendations update the PPE guidance issued Aug. 1 that is now widely considered inadequate. The new recommendations advise, among other things, that health care workers have no skin exposed, that they be supervised while donning and removing PPE, and that rigorous training and practice accompany any use of PPE in the treatment of patients with Ebola.
Specific equipment recommendations include double gloves, waterproof boot covers to mid-calf or higher, and a disposable fluid-resistant or impermeable gown that extends to at least mid-calf, or a coverall without hood. The agency also recommends the use of respirators (N95 or powered air purifying), disposable single-use full-face shields in lieu of goggles, surgical hoods for complete coverage of the head and neck, and a waterproof apron extending from torso to mid-calf if patients have vomiting or diarrhea.
The guidance specifies that hospitals must have designated areas for putting on and taking off PPE and that trained observers monitor all donning and removal. The guidance also contains instructions for disinfecting PPE prior to its removal.
The agency emphasized that training, not merely having the correct equipment in place, was key to the successful use of PPE. “Focusing only on PPE gives a false sense of security of safe care and worker safety,” the CDC stated. “Training is a critical aspect of ensuring infection control.”
Facilities must make sure all health care providers practice “numerous times” until they understand how to properly and safely use the equipment, the CDC advised.