Provider Experiences with Daily Use of Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirators in Health Care

Details

• Personal Author:
  Benavides E ; Fernando R ; Hornbeck A ; Kasbaum M ; Kraft C ; Lane M ; McClain C ; Ostrosky-Zeichner L ; Patlovich S ; Pompeii L ; Rios J ; Sietsema M
• Description:
  Background: During public health emergencies, demand for N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95 FFRs) can outpace supply. Elastomeric half-mask respirators (EHMRs) are a potential alternative that are reusable and provide the same or higher levels of protection. This study sought to examine the practical aspects of EHMR use among health care personnel (HCP). Methods: Between September and December 2021, 183 HCPs at 2 tertiary referral centers participated in this 3-month EHMR deployment, wearing the EHMR whenever respiratory protection was required according to hospital protocols (ie, when an N95 FFR would typically be worn) and responding to surveys about their experience. Results: Participants wore EHMRs typically 1 to 3 hours per shift, reported disinfecting the respirator after 85% of the removals, and reported high confidence in using the EHMR following the study. EHMRs caused minimal interference with patient care tasks, though they did inhibit communication. Discussion: HCP who had not previously worn an EHMR were able to wear it as an alternative to an N95 FFR without much-reported interference with their job tasks and with high disinfection compliance. Conclusions: This study highlights the feasibility of the deployment of EHMRs during a public health emergency when an alternative respirator option is necessary. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Elastomers Health Personnel Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Elastomeric Respirators COVID-19 Elastomeric Half-mask Respirators Health Care Personnel Personal Protective Equipment PPE Respirator Selection Respiratory Protection Respiratory Protection Program
• ISSN:
  0196-6553
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Pennsylvania ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  52
• Issue:
  7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069184
• Citation:
  Am J Infect Control 2024 Jul; 52(7):745-750
• Contact Point Address:
  Morgan Lane, MPH, School of Medicine, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA, USA
• Email:
  morgan.a.lane@emory.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Infection Control
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:df06583b40bf4471cf1c02eb0d148ea9ffe0a2fb1e45da748eb628ac16c4ba1cd4955426c5deb4aa7efac5280dd6295b93aa6de75b8edb0305ebcb60831b74c6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207716/cdc_207716_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.52 MB ]