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The Feasibility of an Infection Control “Safe Zone” in a Spinal Cord Injury Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2016

Keshonna Lones ,
Swetha Ramanathan ,
Margaret Fitzpatrick ,
Jennifer N. Hill ,
Marylou Guihan ,
Michael S. A. Richardson  and
Charlesnika T. Evans
Keshonna Lones
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center of Innovation of Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois
Swetha Ramanathan
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center of Innovation of Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois
Margaret Fitzpatrick
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center of Innovation of Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois
Jennifer N. Hill
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center of Innovation of Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois
Marylou Guihan
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center of Innovation of Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
Michael S. A. Richardson
Affiliation:
Spinal Cord Injury Service, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois
Charlesnika T. Evans*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center of Innovation of Complex Chronic Healthcare and Spinal Cord Injury Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois Department of Preventive Medicine, Center for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
*
Address correspondence to Charlesnika T. Evans, PhD, MPH, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, 5000 S. 5th Ave (151H), Bldg 1, Rm D302, Hines, IL 60141 (Charlesnika.evans@va.gov).
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Abstract

We report on healthcare worker use of a safe zone (outside a 3-foot perimeter around the patient’s bed) and personal protective equipment in 2 inpatient spinal cord injury/disorder units. Workers remained within the safe zone during 22% of observations but were less compliant with personal protective equipment inside the zone.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:714–716

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 37 , Issue 6 , June 2016 , pp. 714 - 716
Copyright
© 2016 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved 

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References

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