Reusable respirators as personal protective equipment during ENT surgery.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Robust personal protective equipment is essential in preventing the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 to head and neck surgeons who are routinely involved in aerosol generating procedures. OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the collective experience, across 3 institutes, of using a reusable half-face respirator in 72 head and neck surgery cases. METHOD: Cost analysis was performed to demonstrate the financial implications of using a reusable respirator compared to single-use filtering facepiece code 3 masks. CONCLUSION: The reusable respirator is a cost-effective alternative to disposable filtering facepiece code 3 respirators. Supplying reusable respirators to individual staff members may increase the likelihood of them having appropriate personal protective equipment during their clinical duties.
Collections
Subject
Body Fluids
Humans
Pneumonia, Viral
Coronavirus Infections
Aerosols
Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures
Equipment Design
Equipment Reuse
Ventilators, Mechanical
Otolaryngology
Occupational Exposure
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Female
Male
Pandemics
Surgeons
Personal Protective Equipment
Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
Language
eng
Date accepted
2020-06-25
Citation
The Journal of laryngology and otology, 2020, 134 (8), pp. 732 - 734
Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS