title: Hospital infectious disease emergency preparedness: a survey of infection control professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hospital preparedness for infectious disease emergencies is imperative for local, regional, and national response planning.
  
  
  METHODS
  A secondary data analysis was conducted of a survey administered to Infection Control Professionals (ICPs) in May, 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most hospitals have ICP representation on their disaster committee, around-the-clock infection control support, a plan to prioritize health care workers to receive vaccine or antivirals, and non-health care facility surge beds. Almost 20% lack a surge capacity plan. Some lack negative pressure rooms for current patient loads or any surge capacity. Less than half have a plan for rapid set-up of negative pressure, and Midwest hospitals are less likely than other areas to have such plans. Smaller hospitals have less negative pressure surge capacity than do larger hospitals. About half have enough health care workers to respond to a surge that involves < or =50 patients; few can handle > or =100 patients. Many do not have sufficient ventilators or can handle < or =10 additional ventilated patients. Most do not have enough National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved respirators, and less than half have sufficient surgical masks to handle a significant surge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  United States hospitals lack negative pressure, health care worker, and medical equipment/supplies surge capacity. Hospitals must continue to address gaps in infectious disease emergency planning.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biosecurity, Saint Louis University, School of Public Health, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. rebmannt@slu.edu
authors.forename: Terri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rebmann
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carrico
authors.forename: Judith F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: English
mesh_terms: D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003666:Decontamination / Q000295:instrumentation; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006752:Hospital Planning; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D016357:Infection Control Practitioners; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology