Abstract
“All blood, body fluids, secretions （sputum), vomitus, excreta, and wound skin and mucous membranes should be treated as sources of infection” represents the basis of infection control. However, previous studies have reported a low rate of compliance with personal protective equipment (aprons and goggles) use among nurses during oral care interventions. In this study, we investigated factors associated with low compliance with personal protective equipment use among nurses during oral care interventions.
Our results showed that the rate of apron/goggle use was particularly low during oral care interventions, which was consistent with the results of previous studies. This finding was attributable to the possibility that nurses made their own decisions regarding selection and use of personal protective equipment during brushing performed as a component of oral care, based on the reasoning that droplets or spray would not splatter on the face or that they would use aprons and goggles only during interactions with patients diagnosed with an infection. It was also possible that nurses may have selected personal protective equipment based on color, depending on how each nurse received it and the contamination situation. Droplets and aerosols generated during most oral care procedures are ‘colorless' and ‘transparent' and are not perceived as ‘risky.’ Therefore, education is important to create awareness regarding splashing of droplets and aerosols during oral care interventions in addition to visual display of such information.
