Abstract
Background: Highly infectious diseases (HIDs) are defined as being transmissible from person to person, causing life-threatening illnesses and presenting a serious public health hazard. The sampling, handling and transport of specimens from patients with HIDs present specific bio-safety concerns. Findings. The European Network for HID project aimed to record, in a cross-sectional study, the infection control capabilities of referral centers for HIDs across Europe and assesses the level of achievement to previously published guidelines. In this paper, we report the current diagnostic capabilities and bio-safety measures applied to diagnostic procedures in these referral centers. Overall, 48 isolation facilities in 16 European countries were evaluated. Although 81% of these referral centers are located near a biosafety level 3 laboratory, 11% and 31% of them still performed their microbiological and routine diagnostic analyses, respectively, without bio-safety measures. Conclusions: The discrepancies among the referral centers surveyed between the level of practices and the European Network of Infectious Diseases (EUNID) recommendations have multiple reasons of which the interest of the individuals in charge and the investment they put in preparedness to emerging outbreaks. Despite the fact that the less prepared centers can improve by just updating their practice and policies any support to help them to achieve an acceptable level of biosecurity is welcome.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 527 |
| Journal | BMC Research Notes |
| Volume | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
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Keywords
- Communicable diseases
- Critical pathway
- Diagnostic techniques and procedures
- European Union
- Infection control
- Patient isolation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Diagnostic issues and capabilities in 48 isolation facilities in 16 European countries : Data from EuroNHID surveys. / Thiberville, Simon Djamel; Schilling, Stefan; De Iaco, Giuseppina; Fusco, Francesco Maria; Thomson, Gail; Maltezou, Helen C.; Gottschalk, Rene; Brodt, Reinhard H.; Bannister, Barbara; Puro, Vincenzo; Ippolito, Giuseppe; Brouqui, Philippe.
In: BMC Research Notes, Vol. 5, 527, 2012.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Diagnostic issues and capabilities in 48 isolation facilities in 16 European countries
T2 - Data from EuroNHID surveys
AU - Thiberville, Simon Djamel
AU - Schilling, Stefan
AU - De Iaco, Giuseppina
AU - Fusco, Francesco Maria
AU - Thomson, Gail
AU - Maltezou, Helen C.
AU - Gottschalk, Rene
AU - Brodt, Reinhard H.
AU - Bannister, Barbara
AU - Puro, Vincenzo
AU - Ippolito, Giuseppe
AU - Brouqui, Philippe
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Background: Highly infectious diseases (HIDs) are defined as being transmissible from person to person, causing life-threatening illnesses and presenting a serious public health hazard. The sampling, handling and transport of specimens from patients with HIDs present specific bio-safety concerns. Findings. The European Network for HID project aimed to record, in a cross-sectional study, the infection control capabilities of referral centers for HIDs across Europe and assesses the level of achievement to previously published guidelines. In this paper, we report the current diagnostic capabilities and bio-safety measures applied to diagnostic procedures in these referral centers. Overall, 48 isolation facilities in 16 European countries were evaluated. Although 81% of these referral centers are located near a biosafety level 3 laboratory, 11% and 31% of them still performed their microbiological and routine diagnostic analyses, respectively, without bio-safety measures. Conclusions: The discrepancies among the referral centers surveyed between the level of practices and the European Network of Infectious Diseases (EUNID) recommendations have multiple reasons of which the interest of the individuals in charge and the investment they put in preparedness to emerging outbreaks. Despite the fact that the less prepared centers can improve by just updating their practice and policies any support to help them to achieve an acceptable level of biosecurity is welcome.
AB - Background: Highly infectious diseases (HIDs) are defined as being transmissible from person to person, causing life-threatening illnesses and presenting a serious public health hazard. The sampling, handling and transport of specimens from patients with HIDs present specific bio-safety concerns. Findings. The European Network for HID project aimed to record, in a cross-sectional study, the infection control capabilities of referral centers for HIDs across Europe and assesses the level of achievement to previously published guidelines. In this paper, we report the current diagnostic capabilities and bio-safety measures applied to diagnostic procedures in these referral centers. Overall, 48 isolation facilities in 16 European countries were evaluated. Although 81% of these referral centers are located near a biosafety level 3 laboratory, 11% and 31% of them still performed their microbiological and routine diagnostic analyses, respectively, without bio-safety measures. Conclusions: The discrepancies among the referral centers surveyed between the level of practices and the European Network of Infectious Diseases (EUNID) recommendations have multiple reasons of which the interest of the individuals in charge and the investment they put in preparedness to emerging outbreaks. Despite the fact that the less prepared centers can improve by just updating their practice and policies any support to help them to achieve an acceptable level of biosecurity is welcome.
KW - Communicable diseases
KW - Critical pathway
KW - Diagnostic techniques and procedures
KW - European Union
KW - Infection control
KW - Patient isolation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866527665&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84866527665&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1756-0500-5-527
DO - 10.1186/1756-0500-5-527
M3 - Article
VL - 5
JO - BMC Research Notes
JF - BMC Research Notes
SN - 1756-0500
M1 - 527
ER -