title: Evaluation of hospital mass screening and infection control practices in a pandemic influenza full-scale exercise.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonpharmacologic interventions such as limiting nosocomial spread have been suggested for mitigation of respiratory epidemics at health care facilities. This observational study tested the efficacy of a mass screening, isolation, and triage protocol in correctly identifying and placing in a cohort exercise subjects according to case status in the emergency departments at 3 acute care hospitals in Brooklyn, New York, during a simulated pandemic influenza outbreak.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 1-day, full-scale exercise using 354 volunteer victims, variables assessing adherence to the mass screening protocol and infection control recommendations were evaluated using standardized forms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While all hospitals were able to apply the suggested mass screening protocol for separation based on case status, significant differences were observed in several infection control variables among participating hospitals and different hospital areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of mass screening and other infection control interventions during a hospital full-scale exercise was feasible and resulted in measurable outcomes. Hospital drills may be an effective way of detecting and addressing variability in following infection control recommendations.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA. skohlhoff@downstate.edu
authors.forename: Stephan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kohlhoff
authors.forename: Bindy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crouch
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Roblin
authors.forename: Baruch
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fertel
authors.forename: Darrin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pruitt
authors.forename: Debra E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weedon
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arquilla
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Augenbraun
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058873:Pandemics; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data