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Volume 10, Number 5—May 2004
Dispatch

Infection Control and SARS Transmission among Healthcare Workers, Taiwan

Yee-Chun Chen*, Pei-Jer Chen*, Shan-Chwen Chang*, Chiang-Lian Kao*, Shiou-Hwa Wang*, Li-Hua Wang*, Pan-Chyr Yang*Comments to Author , and the SARS Research Group of National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital
Author affiliations: *National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan

Main Article

Table

Personal protection before and after recognizing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and implementing specific infection-control measures at the National Taiwan University Hospital


Exposure type
In the same rooma Direct contact Exposure to respiratory droplets and secretions
Protective measures
Before (n = 73)
After (n = 155)
p value
Before (n = 46)
After (n = 132)
p value
Before (n = 37)
After (n = 92)
p value
Masks


<0.001


<0.001


<0.001
   None
36
0

20
0

17
0

   Surgical mask, N-95 or P-100 respirator
37
155

26
132

20
92

Gloves


<0.001


<0.001


<0.001
   None
57
7

28
4

17
2

   One- or two-layer
16
148

18
128

20
90

Eye protection


<0.001


<0.001


<0.001
   No
73
117

46
99

37
66

   Glasses, goggles, or face shields
0
38

0
33

0
26

Gowns


<0.001


<0.001


<0.001
   None
66
6

38
6

30
3

   One- or two-layer 7 149 8 126 7 89

aFive healthcare workers stayed in the same room with SARS patients before and after implementation of specific infection-control measures. Among 223 healthcare workers, 178 had direct contract to SARS patients or their environment, and 129 had exposure to respiratory droplets and secretion.

Main Article

1Ding-Shinn Chen, Yuan-Teh Lee, Che-Ming Teng, Pan-Chyr Yang, Hong-Nerng Ho, Pei-Jer Chen, Ming-Fu Chang, Jin-Town Wang, Shan-Chwen Chang, Chuan-Liang Kao, Wei-Kung Wang, Cheng-Hsiang Hsiao, and Po-Ren Hsueh

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