Use of Thin Dressings Under N95 Respirators: Exploring Their Effect on Quantitative Fit Testing Results to Guide Hospital Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author:

Guschel Susan,Chmiel Karen,Rosenstein Jennifer

Abstract

At the beginning of the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic, health care staff at a level 1 trauma center in the state of New York experienced facial irritation and skin breakdown under their N95 respirators due to increased and prolonged use. PURPOSE: Members of the Certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse, Nurse Practitioners staff were charged with developing recommendations within 48 hours to help prevent and manage facial skin issues using available products that would not compromise the seal of the respirators. METHOD: With the assistance of a health care safety specialist from the Environmental Health and Safety Department of the hospital, an ambient particle counting device was used to measure the N95 fit factor following application of a liquid skin barrier, transparent film dressing, light silicone-based adhesive dressing, or an extra-thin hydrocolloid dressing on the bridge of the nose and the cheekbones underneath an N95 respirator of 2 hospital staff members who volunteered to test the dressings. RESULTS: All thin dressings tested showed a fit factor over 100, reflecting an effective seal. The highest fit factors were seen with the liquid skin barrier in the 2 volunteers (200 and 198, respectively). Thin dressing usage information was included in the hospital guidelines for N95 respirators and shared with staff. Subsequent feedback suggests that the light silicone-based adhesive dressing and the extra-thin hydrocolloid dressing were preferred. CONCLUSION: Thin dressing use may help reduce skin complications among hospital staff during periods of extended N95 respirator wear time. Because use of the dressings did not result in failure of the quantitative fit test, they were permitted for use by health care staff under their N95 respirators. Studies are needed to help health care facilities optimize N95 respirator use to protect staff from coronavirus disease-19 and respirator-related skin complications while supply shortages remain.

Publisher

HMP Communications, LLC

Subject

General Medicine

Cited by 6 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3