| Protecting healthcare staff from severe acute respiratory syndrome: filtration capacity of multiple surgical masks. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 15749326 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation state that healthcare workers should wear N95 masks or higher-level protection during all contact with suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). In areas where N95 masks are not available, multiple layers of surgical masks have been tried to prevent transmission of SARS. The in vivo filtration capacity of a single surgical mask is known to be poor. However, the filtration capacity of a combination of masks is unknown. This was a crossover trial of one, two, three and five surgical masks in six volunteers to determine the in vivo filtration efficiency of wearing more than one surgical mask. We used a Portacount to measure the difference in ambient particle counts inside and outside the masks. The best combination of five surgical masks scored a fit factor of 13.7, which is well below the minimum level of 100 required for a half face respirator. Multiple surgical masks filter ambient particles poorly. They should not be used as a substitute for N95 masks unless there is no alternative. |
| | |
Authors:
|
J L Derrick; C D Gomersall |
Related Documents
:
|
7560446 - Multiple lentigines (leopard) syndrome with chiara i malformation. 8844746 - Pachydermodactyly in two young girls. 2793786 - Infantile autism: a syndrome of multiple primary deficits? 2343006 - Bannayan-zonana syndrome associated with lymphangiomyomatous lesions. 2705846 - Fever and urticaria in acute giardiasis. 6674936 - The wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome. a rare ecg diagnosis in the dog. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Evaluation Studies; Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: The Journal of hospital infection Volume: 59 ISSN: 0195-6701 ISO Abbreviation: J. Hosp. Infect. Publication Date: 2005 Apr |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2005-03-07 Completed Date: 2005-05-26 Revised Date: 2008-11-21 |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 8007166 Medline TA: J Hosp Infect Country: England |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 365-8 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China. jamesderrick@pobox.com |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Cross-Over Studies Equipment Design Filtration / instrumentation* Humans Infection Control / standards Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / prevention & control* Masks / standards* Particle Size Prospective Studies Respiratory Protective Devices / standards* Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / prevention & control*, transmission |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Residual formaldehyde on plastic materials and medical equipment following low-temperature steam and...
Next Document: Photoperiod alters hypothalamic cytokine gene expression and sickness responses following immune cha...