Biomaterial Database

Compliance with universal precautions in a university hospital emergency department. 1989

L J Baraff, and D A Talan

Emergency Medicine Center, UCLA Medical Center 90024-1777.

We investigated the compliance of emergency department health care workers with barrier precaution policies adapted from the Centers for Disease Control's "Recommendations for Prevention of HIV Transmission in Health-Care Settings." One hundred sixty-nine health care worker encounters with 97 patients were observed. One hundred one observations were of noncritical ED patients undergoing IV catheter placement (35) or phlebotomy (66). Sixty-eight observations involved cardiac arrest or critical trauma patients. Observations in this latter group were of the use of needles, 22; physical examination, 18; patient handling, 17; endotracheal intubation, eight; and Foley catheter placement, three. For noncritical patients, only 52.5% of providers wore gloves for phlebotomy or IV catheter placement. For critical patients, gloves were worn by health care workers as follows: needle use, 64%; physical examination, 72%; intubation, 88%; physical handling of patients, 76%; and Foley catheter placement, 100%. Gowns, masks, and protective eyewear were used in encounters with critical patients by 28%, 1%, and 18% of workers, respectively. We conclude that there currently is a low rate of compliance with universal precaution policies by ED personnel.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011481	Protective Clothing	Clothing designed to protect the individual against possible exposure to known hazards.	Clothing, Protective
D011482	Protective Devices	Devices designed to provide protection against injury.	Safety Devices,Device, Protective,Device, Safety,Devices, Protective,Devices, Safety,Protective Device,Safety Device
D004630	Emergencies	Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results.	Emergency
D004634	Emergency Medical Technicians	Allied health personnel trained to provide basic emergency care and life support under the supervision of physicians and/or nurses. These services may be carried out at the site of the emergency, in the ambulance, or in a health care institution.	Advanced EMT,Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians,Emergency Medical Technician,Emergency Medicine Technicians,Medical Technician, Emergency,Medical Technicians, Emergency,Technician, Emergency Medical,Technicians, Emergency Medical,Advanced EMTs,EMT, Advanced,EMTs, Advanced,Emergency Medicine Technician,Technician, Emergency Medicine,Technicians, Emergency Medicine
D004636	Emergency Service, Hospital	Hospital department responsible for the administration and provision of immediate medical or surgical care to the emergency patient.	Emergency Outpatient Unit,Emergency Services Utilization,Hospital Emergency Room,Hospital Emergency Service,Hospital Emergency Services Utilization,Accident and Emergency Department,Emergency Departments,Emergency Hospital Service,Emergency Room,Emergency Units,Emergency Ward,Hospital Service Emergency,Service, Hospital Emergency,Department, Emergency,Departments, Emergency,Emergencies, Hospital Service,Emergency Department,Emergency Hospital Services,Emergency Outpatient Units,Emergency Room, Hospital,Emergency Rooms,Emergency Rooms, Hospital,Emergency Services, Hospital,Emergency Unit,Emergency Wards,Emergency, Hospital Service,Hospital Emergency Rooms,Hospital Emergency Services,Hospital Service Emergencies,Hospital Service, Emergency,Hospital Services, Emergency,Outpatient Unit, Emergency,Outpatient Units, Emergency,Room, Emergency,Room, Hospital Emergency,Rooms, Emergency,Rooms, Hospital Emergency,Service Emergencies, Hospital,Service Emergency, Hospital,Service, Emergency Hospital,Services Utilization, Emergency,Services Utilizations, Emergency,Services, Emergency Hospital,Services, Hospital Emergency,Unit, Emergency,Unit, Emergency Outpatient,Units, Emergency,Units, Emergency Outpatient,Utilization, Emergency Services,Ward, Emergency,Wards, Emergency
D006291	Health Policy	Decisions, usually developed by government policymakers, for determining present and future objectives pertaining to the health care system.	Health Care Policies,Health Policies,Healthcare Policy,National Health Policy,Care Policies, Health,Health Care Policy,Health Policy, National,Healthcare Policies,National Health Policies,Policies, Health,Policies, Health Care,Policies, Healthcare,Policy, Health,Policy, Health Care,Policy, Healthcare
D006784	Hospitals, Teaching	Hospitals engaged in educational and research programs, as well as providing medical care to the patients.	Hospital, Teaching,Teaching Hospital,Teaching Hospitals
D006785	Hospitals, University	Hospitals maintained by a university for the teaching of medical students, postgraduate training programs, and clinical research.	University Hospitals
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000163	Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome	An acquired defect of cellular immunity associated with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a CD4-positive T-lymphocyte count under 200 cells/microliter or less than 14% of total lymphocytes, and increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and malignant neoplasms. Clinical manifestations also include emaciation (wasting) and dementia. These elements reflect criteria for AIDS as defined by the CDC in 1993.	AIDS,Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Immunologic Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome,Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndromes,Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndromes,Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired,Immuno-Deficiency Syndromes, Acquired,Immunodeficiency Syndromes, Acquired,Syndrome, Acquired Immuno-Deficiency,Syndrome, Acquired Immunodeficiency,Syndromes, Acquired Immuno-Deficiency,Syndromes, Acquired Immunodeficiency