Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome during intubation and mechanical ventilation

Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 Jun 1;169(11):1198-202. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200305-715OC. Epub 2004 Feb 27.

Abstract

Nosocomial transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome from critically ill patients to healthcare workers has been a prominent and worrisome feature of existing outbreaks. We have observed a greater risk of developing severe acute respiratory syndrome for physicians and nurses performing endotracheal intubation (relative risk [RR], 13.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.99 to 59.04; p = 0.003). Nurses caring for patients receiving noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation may be at an increased risk (RR, 2.33; 95% CI, 0.25 to 21.76; p = 0.5), whereas nurses caring for patients receiving high-frequency oscillatory ventilation do not appear at an increased risk (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.11 to 4.92; p = 0.6) compared with their respective reference cohorts. Specific infection control recommendations concerning the care of critically ill patients may help limit further nosocomial transmission.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology
  • Cross Infection / transmission
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Infection Control
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Intubation, Intratracheal / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Occupational Exposure / adverse effects
  • Respiration, Artificial / adverse effects*
  • Risk Factors
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / transmission*
  • Statistics as Topic