With an estimated 5.5 million healthcare workers being at the risk of exposure to hazardous drugs and chemicals, Dr Rajiv Kumar, Head – Quality, Accreditation and Patient Safety, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute explains the glaring importance of establishing a culture of safety for healthcare workers and the need for bringing innovative technologies to ensure their safety
With coronavirus tightening its grip on the planet, healthcare workers are at the forefront of the battle. It is at times like these, that the kind of infrastructure and facilities we provide to keep our healthcare staff protected become of utmost importance. According to the latest Lancet report, figures from China’s National Health Commission show that more than 3,300 healthcare workers were infected as of early March and, by the end of February, at least 22 had died. In Italy, 20 per cent of responding healthcare workers was infected, and some had died.
Amid protecting the patients, there have been reports from medical staff describing physical and mental exhaustion, the torment of difficult triage decisions and the pain of losing patients and colleagues, all in addition to the infection risk. Exposing themselves to the current scenario, another statistic by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) showcases that an estimated 5.5 million healthcare workers are at the risk of exposure to hazardous drugs and chemicals. The number highlights the glaring importance of establishing a culture of safety for healthcare workers and the need for bringing innovative technologies to ensure their safety.
The world needs to look closely into the safety of healthcare providers who are exposed to various dangers like infections, exposure to blood-borne contagions, needle-stick injuries; and they also fight ergonomic challenges with manual injections. Contact with contaminated surfaces, inhalation of contaminated air, poor quality medical equipment, etc. pose an additional threat.
To protect healthcare professionals from the risks at hand, the need of the hour is for the healthcare workers to adapt to the latest technologies which are evidence-based, proven guidelines like FITTER (Forum for Injection Technique and Therapy Expert Recommendations) should be implemented for their own safety and for the safety of the patients. Standard precautions should always be routinely applied in all areas of healthcare facilities which include prevention of needle-stick or sharp injuries, safe waste management, cleaning and disinfection of equipment and cleaning of the environment.
It is interesting to see how increasing awareness is leading to the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and biosafety cabinets for the use of anti-neoplastic drugs. We now have a closed system drug transfer device (CSTD) that prohibits the transfer of environmental contaminants into a system, helping healthcare workers avoid exposure to leakages and accidental discharges. As we walk into the future towards combating some of the most life-threatening diseases, we must protect our healthcare providers with innovations like ready-to-administer drug delivery systems, pre-filled flush syringes, self-injection systems, etc. to ensure that the drug delivery is smooth.
While we work towards using technology that keeps our healthcare workers safe, we must look at mitigating risks that arise as a result of medication preparation and administration. Reducing incidence of catheter-related blood stream infections by using a checklist with completion verified by a real-time observer as reminder of each step needed for sterile insertion and as a daily reminder to remove catheter if no longer needed. This will improve patient outcomes, and ensure safe and sound drug delivery for our healthcare providers. The key is to create an awareness ecosystem where all healthcare professionals are abreast of the latest technologies and tools that are required to ensure the safety of our workers. It is time to protect those who protect us.
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