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Vandenberghe P, Ladeira LM, Gil M, Cardoso I, Rato F, Hayes JS, Connolly MA, Gala JL. Biosafety Issues in Patient Transport during COVID-19: A Case Study on the Portuguese Emergency Services. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:99. [PMID: 38248562 PMCID: PMC10815323 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, first responders faced significant biosafety challenges, especially while handling patient transport, potentially exposing them to infection. The PANDEM-2 (European project on pandemic preparedness and response) project, funded by the Horizon 2020 program, sought to investigate the challenges confronting Emergency Medical Systems throughout the EU. First responders from Portugal's National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) were considered as a representative operational model of the national first responder agencies of European member states because they played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, they were asked to complete an online survey about their COVID-19 pandemic-related professional activities. The survey focused on their perspectives on current biosafety guidelines and their operational practices. It covered opinions on existing protocols, technical concerns during patient transport, and issues after the patients arrived at the hospital. The key findings revealed concerns about risk assessment, the inadequacy of guidelines, and disparities in equipment access. This survey emphasizes the importance of developing streamlined, adaptable biosafety protocols, better coordination between prehospital and in-hospital services, and the development of scalable, cost-effective biosafety solutions. Based on our findings, we propose improvements to national and European biosafety directives and advocate for streamlined adaptation during pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Vandenberghe
- Centre for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institute for Clinical and Experimental Research (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, Tour Claude Bernard, Avenue Hippocrate, 54-55, bte B1.54.01, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium;
| | - Luis Manuel Ladeira
- Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica, Rua Almirante Barroso, 36, 1000-013 Lisboa, Portugal; (L.M.L.); (M.G.); (I.C.); (F.R.)
| | - Margarida Gil
- Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica, Rua Almirante Barroso, 36, 1000-013 Lisboa, Portugal; (L.M.L.); (M.G.); (I.C.); (F.R.)
| | - Ivo Cardoso
- Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica, Rua Almirante Barroso, 36, 1000-013 Lisboa, Portugal; (L.M.L.); (M.G.); (I.C.); (F.R.)
| | - Fatima Rato
- Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica, Rua Almirante Barroso, 36, 1000-013 Lisboa, Portugal; (L.M.L.); (M.G.); (I.C.); (F.R.)
| | - Jessica S. Hayes
- School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland; (J.S.H.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Maire A. Connolly
- School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland; (J.S.H.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Jean-Luc Gala
- Centre for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institute for Clinical and Experimental Research (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, Tour Claude Bernard, Avenue Hippocrate, 54-55, bte B1.54.01, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium;
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