ECDC tutorial on 'Critical aspects of the safe use of personal protective equipment' Superceded by 'Safe use of personal protective equipment in the treatment of infectious diseases of high consequence'

ECDC tutorial covering the fundamental concepts of personal protective equipment (PPE) and barrier nursing to support preparedness in hospitals across Europe. The document provides practical information on the use of PPE at the point of care, including technical requirements and procurement aspects. The focus of the tutorial is on an extended set of PPE components, which includes goggles, respirators, gloves, coveralls and footwear.    The topics covered start with procurement and technical requirements as mandated by EU regulation, followed by critical aspects and known pitfalls in the donning (putting on)  and doffing (taking off) of PPE. As effective staff protection never depends on the protective equipment alone, the tutorial also identifies operational basics of barrier management and nursing, including waste management, disinfection and incident management.   It is extremely important that those involved in barrier nursing, especially with cases of an infectious diseases of high consequence, are trained in protective equipment use. This tutorial is meant to support, not replace, practical training and regular refresher courses held by experienced PPE instructors.