Evaluation of hospital mass screening and infection control practices in a pandemic influenza full-scale exercise

Objective: Nonpharmacologic interventions such as limiting nosocomial spread have been suggested for mitigation of respiratory epidemics at health care facilities. This observational study tested the efficacy of a mass screening, isolation, and triage protocol in correctly identifying and placing in a cohort exercise subjects according to case status in the emergency departments at 3 acute care hospitals in Brooklyn, New York, during a simulated pandemic influenza outbreak. Methods: During a 1-day, full-scale exercise using 354 volunteer victims, variables assessing adherence to the mass screening protocol and infection control recommendations were evaluated using standardized forms. Results: While all hospitals were able to apply the suggested mass screening protocol for separation based on case status, significant differences were observed in several infection control variables among participating hospitals and different hospital areas. Conclusions: Implementation of mass screening and other infection control interventions during a hospital fullscale exercise was feasible and resulted in measurable outcomes. Hospital drills may be an effective way of detecting and addressing variability in following infection control recommendations.