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Table 5 Staff and user safety on General Hospital Psychiatric Wards during the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy

From: Psychiatry during the Covid-19 pandemic: a survey on mental health departments in Italy

Items

N (%) of respondents Yes

Statistically significantdifferences accordingto geographical areaa

Differences according to classesbased upon rates of Covid + cases per 1000 inhabitants on aregional basisb

“Filter” area for access to Hospital

86 (80.4)

None

None

Pts remaining in the filter areabefore swab outcomes are known

79 (73.8)

None

None

Access limitations to wards forfamily members/carers

106 (99.1)

None

None

Swabs for patients

Overall = 54 (50.5)

admission+discharge = 21 (19.6)

Only on admission = 28 (26.2)

Only on discharge = 3 (2.8)

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

Routes dedicated to patients withsuspected infection

93 (86.9)

None

None

Voluntary Admission ofCovid+Cases to

General Covid Unitsc = 68 (63,6)

Special GHPWsd = 23 (21.5)

Othere = 16 (14.9)

None

None

None

None

None

None

Compulsory admission of Covid+cases (managed in)

General Covid Unitsc = 67 (62,6)

Special GHPWsd = 21 (19.6)

Othere = 19 (17.7)

N = 35 (60.3) C = 6 (37.5) S = 26 (78.8) p<.05

N = 11 (18.9) C = 5 (21.2) S = 6 (18.2)

N = 12 (20.6) C = 6 (37.5) S = 1 (3.0)*

None

None

None

Management of agitated Covid+ pts.

Locked doors 33 (30.8)

Sedation 90 (84.0)

Physical restraint 42 (39.2)

CCTV monitoring 31 (28.9)

None

None

N = 25 (43.1) C = 11 (68.7) S = 6 (18.1) p<.01

None

None

None

High rate regb = 30 (48.3)

low rate regib = 12 (26.6) p<.01

None

Routine Swabs for staff membersexposed to suspected cases

48 (44.9)

None

None

Covid+ cases reported among staffmembers

30 (28.0)

N = 24 (41.4) C = 3 (18.7); S = 5 (15.1) p<.01

High rate regionsb = 24 (38.7)

low rate regionsb = 6 (13.3) p<.01

PPD Evaluationf

Adequate = 17.8

Partially adequate = 52.5

Inadequate = 27.7

None

None

None

None

None

None

Staff concerns about personal safety

90 (84.1)

None

None

  1. aItaly’s Geographical areas are: N North, C Centre, S South and Islands
  2. bgroup 1 ≥ 2 cases × 1000 inhabitants; group 2 < 2 cases × 1000 inhabitants;high rate regions are those included in group 1, as above; Low rate regions are those included in class 2 as above
  3. cGeneral Covid Units = General Hospitals’ Intensive and Non Intensive Care Units
  4. dSpecial GHPWs = General Hospital Psychiatric Wards specifically devoted to Covid+ patients
  5. eOther = psychiatric pts. managed in isolated rooms or sections within GHPWs
  6. fPPE Personal Protective Equipment