Approach to Prioritizing Respiratory Protection When Demand Exceeds Supplies During an Influenza Pandemic: A Call to Action

Details

• Personal Author:
  Delaney, Lisa J. ; Lee L ; Patel A ; Pillai SK ; Radonovich L ; Valderrama AL
• Description:
  During a pandemic caused by a novel strain of influenza virus, it is estimated thatmore than 68million people in the United States may seek acute medical care.1-3 Providing protection for healthcare personnel who care for patients is essential to ensure continuity of healthcare services during a public health emergency, including a pandemic.4However, at the onset of a pandemic, a well-matched vaccine may not be available, and limited supplies of antiviral medications will likely be reserved primarily for treatment of ill patients, instead of prophylaxis. While a hierarchy of infection prevention measures will be widely used, surges of infectious patients may leave many healthcare personnel to use respiratory protective devices (RPDs) as a primarymeans of self-protection.5 To promote healthcare worker protection against occupational exposures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sought to understand the optimal roles of RPDs, such as N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95) and surgical masks (sometimes called medical masks), in the context of a pandemic. Prioritization of RPD allocation to healthcare personnel to limit exposures will require critical deliberation as demand outstrips RPD availability. To arrive at a rational, equitable, and transparent allocation process, stakeholders should build on lessons learned about personal protective equipment (PPE) supply chain from recent outbreaks, such as the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, the 2013-14 H7N9 influenza outbreak, and the 2014 Ebola epidemic. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Delivery Of Health Care Environmental Exposure Health Personnel Influenza, Human Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Viral Diseases

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• Keywords:
  Ebola Virus Disease Exposure Levels Health Care Health Care Workers Health Effects Health Protection Humans Infection Prevention Influenza Medical Care Medical Personnel N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators Personal Protection Personal Protective Equipment PPE Protective Measures Respirators Respiratory Protection Risk Factors Surgical Masks Vaccines Viral Diseases

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• ISSN:
  2326-5094
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EPRO - Emergency Preparedness and Response Office ; NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  152-155
• Volume:
  17
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055764
• Citation:
  Health Secur 2019 Apr; 17(2):152-155
• Contact Point Address:
  Anita Patel, PharmD, MS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333
• Email:
  bop1@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Health Security
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9bc88bf66db881867882fef3d8af2bc16031a5170c270d4b8d9db1a3d6dabb0ff776b0066de8354bd85abf36605df1cd61e80bb9ab54fb13fac17b47a3ac4fae
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213540/cdc_213540_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 161.58 KB ]