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Respiratory Protection by Respirators: The Predictive Value of User Seal Check for the Fit Determination in Healthcare Settings

Part of: BARRY FARR AWARD RECIPIENTS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Simon Ching Lam ,
Joseph Kok Long Lee ,
Linda Yin King Lee ,
Ka Fai Wong  and
Cathy Nga Yan Lee
Simon Ching Lam*
Affiliation:
Nursing Team, School of Science and Technology, Open University of Hong Kong, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Joseph Kok Long Lee
Affiliation:
Nursing Team, School of Science and Technology, Open University of Hong Kong, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Linda Yin King Lee
Affiliation:
Nursing Team, School of Science and Technology, Open University of Hong Kong, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Ka Fai Wong
Affiliation:
Nursing Team, School of Science and Technology, Open University of Hong Kong, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Cathy Nga Yan Lee
Affiliation:
Nursing Team, School of Science and Technology, Open University of Hong Kong, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
*
(chlam@ouhk.edu.hk)
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Extract

The N95 respirator is one type that is recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent inhalation of droplets that may act to transmit respiratory pathogens. However, the reliability of this respirator to prevent transmission is dependent on how well it is fitted to the wearer. For ill-fitting respirators, the average penetration by ambient aerosol was found to be 33%, compared with 4% for well-fitting respirators. Such penetration or leakage may be caused by the gap between the respirator and the wearer's face. Therefore, formal fit testing should be carried out prior to the use of N95 respirators. Quantitative fit testing measures “the adequacy of respirator fit by numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator” using an electronic device.

Type
Research Briefs
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 32 , Issue 4 , April 2011 , pp. 402 - 403
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2011

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