Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-npwhs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-03T02:41:25.615Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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

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)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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.

Information

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1. World Health Organization. Epidemic and pandemic alert and response (EPR): infection prevention and control of epidemic— and pandemic—prone acute respiratory disease in health care: WHO interim guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2007.Google Scholar
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for preventing health-care-associated pneumonia, 2003: recommendations of CDC and the healthcare infection control practices advisory committee. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2004;53:1–36.Google Scholar
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Laboratory performance evaluation of N95 filtering facepiece respirators, 1996. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1998;47:1045–1049.Google Scholar
4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Regulations (standards: 29 CFR). Appendix A. 1910.134: fit testing procedures (mandatory). Fed Regist 2004;63(149).Google Scholar
5. Sargent, EV, Gallo, F. Use of personal protective equipment for respiratory protection. Int Lab Anim Res J 2003;44:52–56.Google Scholar
6. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA's respiratory protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134. Fed Regist 1998;63(5).Google Scholar
7. TSI. PortaCount Pro 8030 respirator fit testers: operation and service manual. Shoreview, MN: TSI; 2008.Google Scholar
8. Lang, TA, Secie, M. How to report statistics in medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians; 2006.Google Scholar
9. Sim, J, Wright, CC. The kappa statistic in reliability studies: use, interpretation, and sample size requirements. Rhys Ther 2005;85:257–268.Google Scholar
10. Derrick, JL, Chan, YF, Gomersall, CD, Lui, SE Predictive value of the user seal check in determining half-face respirator fit. JHosp Infect 2005;59:152–155.Google Scholar