Abstract:
Environmental services (EVS) workers are essential to preventing the spread of disease in hospitals. However, their exposure to hazardous chemicals and drugs is understudied. This scoping review will synthesize literature on hazardous chemical exposures and adverse health outcomes among EVS workers to identify research gaps and trends for further investigation. The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure complete and accurate reporting. The scoping review included 25 studies on occupational exposure to chemicals among EVS workers in hospitals. Most studies focused on exposure to cleaning products, which led to dermal, respiratory, and ocular symptoms, oxidative stress, and inflammation. While personal protective equipment (PPE), training, education, and policies have the potential to enhance safety, further research is required to examine the long-term impacts of exposure and the cost-effectiveness of interventions. Future studies should utilize longitudinal approaches and self-reported data collection methods, such as diaries and interviews, to comprehensively assess exposure risks and develop effective interventions and policies. Future research is needed to understand the potential health risks faced by EVS workers from exposure to chemicals in hospitals. Longitudinal studies with objective exposure assessments and larger sample sizes should be conducted. Policies and interventions must be developed and implemented to improve safe work practices and reduce negative health outcomes.
摘要:
环境服务(EVS)工作人员对于防止疾病在医院传播至关重要。然而,他们接触危险化学品和药物的研究不足。本范围审查将综合有关危险化学品暴露和EVS工人不良健康结果的文献,以确定研究差距和趋势,以供进一步调查。范围审查遵循系统审查和荟萃分析(PRISMA)指南的首选报告项目,以确保完整和准确的报告。范围审查包括25项关于医院EVS工人职业接触化学品的研究。大多数研究集中在接触清洁产品,导致皮肤,呼吸,和眼部症状,氧化应激,和炎症。而个人防护装备(PPE),培训,教育,政策有可能提高安全性,需要进一步的研究来检查暴露的长期影响和干预措施的成本效益。未来的研究应该利用纵向方法和自我报告的数据收集方法,比如日记和采访,全面评估暴露风险,制定有效的干预措施和政策。未来的研究需要了解EVS工人在医院接触化学品所面临的潜在健康风险。应进行客观暴露评估和更大样本量的纵向研究。必须制定和实施政策和干预措施,以改善安全工作做法,减少负面健康后果。