title: Survey of UK Health Care First Responders' Knowledge of Personal Protective Equipment Requirements.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An adequate level of personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary when treating patients with highly infectious diseases or those contaminated with hazardous substances.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following National Institute for Health Research's Research Centre (London, United Kingdom) approval, the authors of this study conducted a survey of specialist registrars' knowledge of the respiratory and skin protection requirements needed during a resuscitation scenario with Advanced Life Support. Participant responses were compared to UK national recommendations and to a previous survey in 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 98 specialist registrars (in Anesthesiology, n=51; in Emergency Medicine (EM), n=21; and in Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) n=26) completed hand-delivered surveys. The best knowledge of PPE requirements (76%) was found for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with less knowledge about PPE requirements for anthrax, plague, Ebola virus disease (EVD), and smallpox (60%). The results show limited knowledge of PPE requirements (20%-30%) for various chemical warfare agents. Personal protective equipment knowledge regarding treatment of sarin-contaminated casualties was over-rated by 80%, and for patients with EVD, it was over-rated by up to 67% of participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the tested cohort indicate that current knowledge regarding PPE for chemical warfare agents remains very limited.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Anesthesiology,Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Intensive Care Medicine,Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: Alexandra R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Anesthesiology,Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: Valentine
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Woodham
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology,St Georges Healthcare NHS Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buckingham
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Emergency Medicine,Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garnham
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Anesthesiology,Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust,London,UK.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brinker
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D060731:Emergency Responders; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care; D008297:Male; D011482:Protective Devices; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: APR air-purification respirator; CBRN; CBRN chemical; EM Emergency Medicine; EVD Ebola virus disease; Ebola; HPA Health Protection Agency; ICM Intensive Care Medicine; NHS National Health Service; PPE; PPE personal protective equipment; SARS severe acute respiratory syndrome; biological; or nuclear; radiological; resuscitation; sarin