scholarly journals Assessing functional state of the body when wearing a reusable protective suit to minimize risks of contagion among medical personnel

2021 ◽  
pp. 152-161
Author(s):  
A.B. Yudin ◽  
◽  
M.V. Kaltygin ◽  
E.A. Konovalov ◽  
A.A. Vlasov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional State ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Thermal State ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cardiorespiratory System ◽  
Psychophysiological State

Personal protective equipment has become the last line of protection for medical personnel during the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection since it allows minimizing risks of biological contagion. Given the existing staffing shortage, medical workers have to spend from 4 to 12 hours a day in the “red zone” where they necessarily wear personal protective equipment. Protective clothing is known to produce negative effects on functional state of the body and personnel’s working capacities. Assessment of up-to-date protective suits will allow developing recommendations on their suitable application bearing in mind a balance between necessary protection, providing favorable ergonomics, and reducing risks of adverse effects on functional state and working capacities. Our research aim was to hygienically assess health risks for medical workers who had to wear reusable protective suits. Our research object was a reusable suit made from polyether fabric with polyurethane membrane coating and antistatic threads. We performed an experiment aimed at evaluating thermal state of the body, psychophysiological state, and responses by the volunteers’ cardiorespiratory system in laboratory conditions during an 80 hour working shift under controlled microclimate. Participants in the experiment were questioned in order to assess suits’ ergonomics. Heat exchange dynamics and amount of changes in thermal physiological parameters caused by wearing a protective suit determined heat contents of volunteers’ bodies that conformed to optimal standard values. Data on psychophysiological and mental state taken in research dynamics didn’t have any statistically significant changes. Gas exchange indicators naturally grew during the “load” phase; however, there were no significant changes detected in any phase in the research. Hygienic assessment of the thermal state, functional state of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and psychophysio-logical indicators confirmed that wearing a protective suit was quite safe and didn’t involve any health risks for volunteers.

Features of the thermal state of medical workers when using personal protective equipment against biological factors

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 801-803
Author(s):  
Alexey V. Konyukhov ◽  
Andrey M. Geregei ◽  
Vladislav I. Lemeshko
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Thermal State ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
The Body ◽  
Vapor Permeability ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Working Day ◽  
Materials Used

Introduction. Biological personal protective equipment (PPE) is currently in particular demand, primarily when working with patients with a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Many materials used in the manufacture of such PPE have low air and vapor permeability, which ultimately can contribute to overheating of the body even in a comfortable temperature environment. The aim of study - physiological and hygienic assessment of the thermal state of the body of medical workers dressed in PPE from biological factors during the working day. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on the basis of an infectious hospital clinic of the FSBSI "Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health" during the COVID-19 epidemic on practically healthy volunteers: orderlies, nurses and doctors, who during the study performed their duties in the "infectious" zone. Results. The volunteers were equipped with sensors that measure the temperature of the skin and body, heart rate and humidity of the underwear. The indicators obtained during the experiment were evaluated in accordance with the current regulatory documentation. Conclusion. The data obtained as a result of the study showed an increase in most of the criteria indicators of the thermal state of the body of medical workers, which made it possible to assess the intensity of the thermal state of medical personnel.

scholarly journals Comparative physiological and hygienic assessment of the personal protective equipment EP-4(0) in the various assembly according to human thermal state indices

2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-233
Author(s):  
Olga V. Burmistrova ◽  
Sergey Yu. Perov ◽  
Tatyana A. Konshina
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Thermal State ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
The Impact

Introduction. The article presents results of the study of the impact of the personal protective equipment EP-4 (0) in various assembly (overalls, jacket and trousers, jacket and semi-overall) from power frequency electric field and electrical shock on the thermal state of workers in a heating environment at air temperature 34.8 ○C and relative humidity 48%. Materials and methods. The study involved three men aged 35.3±4.6 years. They did the physical exercise for 40 minutes, had comfortable relaxation for 30 minutes after work. Recorded indices included skin temperature and moisture sensation score on 11 parts of the body, body temperature in the ear canal, heart rate, clothes temperature, heat sensation score, moisture loss, moisture evaporation efficiency. Results. Overalls using had the highest values of heat content, moisture score, heart rate changes, and body temperature increment. Heat content index in the body reached maximum permissible value using overalls earlier than other configurations. Conclusion. The research data showed overalls have the most significant impact on the human thermal state, jacket and trousers have the least impact, jacket and semi-overall take an intermediate place. The configuration including jacket and trousers, jacket and semi-overall under specific operating conditions is the most optimal. Such PPE assembly can be recommended for use in the open area in the summer season at an air temperature of 35 ○C and above, subject to protective requirements.

scholarly journals GAS COMPOSITION OF ALVEOLAR AIR AND TOLERABILITY OF PERSONAL RESPIRATORY PROTECTION EQUIPMENT

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-55
Author(s):  
Yury Yu. Byalovsky ◽  
V. A. Kiryushin ◽  
N. I. Prokhorov ◽  
I. S. Rakitina ◽  
N. V. Chudinin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Functional State ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Gas Composition ◽  
Respiratory Resistance ◽  
Alveolar Air ◽  
Subjective Discomfort

Introduction. When using personal protective equipment for respiratory organs of an insulating type in case of depletion of a regenerative cartridge, hypoxic-hypercapnic changes in the gas composition of the body occur, which have a negative effect on the tolerance of personal protective equipment for respiratory organs. The combination of additional respiratory resistance with hypoxia and hypercapnia further worsens the tolerance of respiratory protective equipment. The purpose of this study was to study the tolerance of personal respiratory protection when changing the gas composition of the alveolar air. Material and methods. The study was conducted on healthy subjects of both sexes (78 people), aged 20 to 36 years. To simulate the conditions for the use of personal respiratory protective equipment, inspiratory resistive respiratory loads of 20% of the maximum intraoral pressure were used during the Mueller test. The tolerance of respiratory protective equipment was evaluated using the Borg visual analog scale of dyspnea, which reflected the level of subjective discomfort occurring due to additional respiratory resistance is turned on. The methodology for changing the gas composition of the alveolar air in the subjects consisted of using a system that allowed adding oxygen from the line to the closed spirograph circuit and turning the carbon dioxide adsorber on and off. Results. The tolerance of personal respiratory protection is associated with the nature of the gas composition of the alveolar air. A minimum of subjective discomfort was observed in the presence of hyperoxic-hypocapnic composition of the pulmonary air; on the contrary, an increase in subjective discomfort on the Borg scale was observed with a reduced oxygen content and an increased concentration of carbon dioxide. The use of personal respiratory protective equipment against the background of hypoxia-hypercapnia negatively changes the functional state of the body: there was observed an increase in physiological expenditures by leading effectors. Normalization of the gas composition of the body under the use of personal respiratory protection did not lead to complete optimization of the functional state of the subjects. Conclusion. Hypoxia and hypercapnia arising from the depletion of regenerative cartridges of the respiratory protective equipment of an insulating type leads to a significant deterioration in the tolerance to additional respiratory resistance. The alleged mechanism of this phenomenon should be considered as an increase in fatigue of the respiratory muscles.

Infectious safety of nursing staff in departments (offices) functional diagnostics in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 30-33
Author(s):  
E. V. Panina ◽  
M. V. Pugachev ◽  
A. G. Shchesiu
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Medical Waste ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Functional Diagnostics ◽  
Prevention Of Infections ◽  
Epidemiological Situation

The article shows that in the daily activities of nursing staff of functional diagnostics departments (offices), it is necessary to strictly observe the requirements and rules for the prevention of infections associated with medical care, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The types of personal protective equipment (PPE) of medical personnel (MP), as well as current effective methods of disinfection, rules for collecting medical waste in a complex epidemiological situation are presented.

Application of the ergospirometry method for physiological evaluation of the effectiveness of personal protective equipment

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 753-755
Author(s):  
Andrey M. Geregey ◽  
Evgeny S. Shuporin ◽  
Ivan V. Fateev
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cardiorespiratory System ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Physiological Assessment ◽  
Individual Protection ◽  
Physiological Evaluation ◽  
Field And Laboratory Conditions

Today, there are personal protective equipment, which due to their weight and size characteristics and design features can aggravate professional activity. This is characterized by an increase in the load on several major systems of the employee's body, including the cardiorespiratory system, which can cause the development of occupational pathology. The study of the functions of the cardiorespiratory system of humans in the process of his work is an important task in biomedical tests such as PPE, aggravating their professional activities and future means of individual protection from heavy labor and industrial exoskeletons. The aim of the study is to determine the possibility of using ergospirometry for the physiological assessment of personal protective equipment and industrial exoskeletons. Main part. In medical practice and high-performance sports, ergospirometry is considered the "gold standard" for functional assessment of the cardiorespiratory system. There are very few studies showing the use of ergospirometry for the purpose of physiological assessment of personal protective equipment. Results of research works in which ergospirometry was used in medicine, sports, as well as on the physiological and hygienic assessment of combat equipment, various types of personal protective equipment, including new promising personal protective equipment of the musculoskeletal system-industrial exoskeletons. The use of ergospirometry made it possible to register the main indicators of the human cardiorespiratory system both in field and laboratory conditions and allowed forming an objective conclusion about the dynamics of the degree of stress of the human cardiorespiratory system when using personal protective equipment and industrial exoskeletons with various weight and size characteristics. Thus, the use of ergospirometry both in isolation and in combination with other methods allows us to solve problems related to biomedical testing of personal protective equipment and industrial exoskeletons.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of Personal Protective Equipment Use by the General Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Lombardy (Northern Italy)

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Gilberto Binda ◽  
Arianna Bellasi ◽  
Davide Spanu ◽  
Andrea Pozzi ◽  
Domenico Cavallo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Lombardy Region ◽  
Life Habits

The diffusion of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impacted the whole world, changing the life habits of billions of people. These changes caused an abundant increase in personal protective equipment (PPE, e.g., masks and gloves) use by the general population, which can become a concerning issue of plastic pollution. This study aims to evaluate the negative effects of the abundant PPE use following the COVID-19 diffusion using the test site of the Lombardy region, an area highly affected by the pandemic. Population data were retrieved from national databases, and the COVID-19 national guidelines were considered to estimate the total use of PPEs during 2020. Then, the quantity of waste derived from their use was evaluated based on the weight of PPEs. As well, possible scenarios for 2021 were proposed based on 2020 estimations. The results suggested different negative effects of the diffusion of PPEs both on waste management and on the environment: The abundant increase in PPEs-derived waste caused an increase in terms of costs for management, and the potential direct spreading in the environment of these materials (especially masks) poses a serious threat for an increase in microplastics in water bodies. Following this evaluation, a careful choice regarding COVID-19 measures of containment should be performed especially by the general population, avoiding contagion diffusion and reducing the possible environmental impact derived from disposable PPE use.

Respiratory viruses on personal protective equipment and bodies of healthcare workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
pp. 1356-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linh T. Phan ◽  
Dagmar Sweeney ◽  
Dayana Maita ◽  
Donna C. Moritz ◽  
Susan C. Bleasdale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Bare Hand ◽  
Polymerase Chain

AbstractObjective:To characterize the magnitude of virus contamination on personal protective equipment (PPE), skin, and clothing of healthcare workers (HCWs) who cared for patients having acute viral infections.Design:Prospective observational study.Setting:Acute-care academic hospital.Participants:A total of 59 HCWs agreed to have their PPE, clothing, and/or skin swabbed for virus measurement.Methods:The PPE worn by HCW participants, including glove, face mask, gown, and personal stethoscope, were swabbed with Copan swabs. After PPE doffing, bodies and clothing of HCWs were sampled with Copan swabs: hand, face, and scrubs. Preamplification and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods were used to quantify viral RNA copies in the swab samples.Results:Overall, 31% of glove samples, 21% of gown samples, and 12% of face mask samples were positive for virus. Among the body and clothing sites, 21% of bare hand samples, 11% of scrub samples, and 7% of face samples were positive for virus. Virus concentrations on PPE were not statistically significantly different than concentrations on skin and clothing under PPE. Virus concentrations on the personal stethoscopes and on the gowns were positively correlated with the number of torso contacts (P < .05). Virus concentrations on face masks were positively correlated with the number of face mask contacts and patient contacts (P < .05).Conclusions:Healthcare workers are routinely contaminated with respiratory viruses after patient care, indicating the need to ensure that HCWs complete hand hygiene and use other PPE to prevent dissemination of virus to other areas of the hospital. Modifying self-contact behaviors may decrease the presence of virus on HCWs.

scholarly journals Patient-Worn Enhanced Protection Face Shield for Flexible Endoscopy

2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack B. Anon ◽  
Carter Denne ◽  
Darcy Rees
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Flexible Endoscopy ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Fiberoptic Endoscopy ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
Inferior Aspect ◽  
Fluorescein Dye

Objectives The primary objective of this study was to compare the protection afforded by a standard face shield design with a new enhanced design in a controlled setting. Methods This study was exempted from review by institutional review board waiver. A flexible fiberoptic endoscopy was placed through stellate openings in the standard face shield and the enhanced face shield. A series of simulated coughs were created with bursts of fluorescein dye through an atomizer tip placed within the test participant’s mouth. Ultraviolet lighting illuminated the test area, and areas of dye splatter were noted. Results Fluorescein dye is easily aerosolized along the lateral inferior aspect of a standard shield with significant contamination of the surrounds. The enhanced face shield maintained a barrier to the aerosolized dye. Discussion Face shields, rather than face masks, should be considered a preferred alternative for the public and for health care professionals alike, as they address many of the personal protective equipment concerns especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Otolaryngologists are at high risk from aerosol-generating procedures, such as flexible fiberoptic endoscopy, even when wearing personal protective equipment. Here we describe a uniquely designed face shield to be worn by the patient as another layer of protection for the environment and for medical personnel. Implications for Practice During the course of a flexible fiberoptic endoscopy, medical personnel are safely isolated from potential infectious particles with a newly designed face shield.

scholarly journals KADAR ELEKTROLIT DALAM DARAH PADA TENAGA KERJA YANG TERPAPAR PANAS (Studi Kasus Pada Bagian Welding Di PT. DOK Dan Perkapalan Surabaya (Persero) Tahun 2016)

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fitria Alfiatus Solikhah ◽  
Hadi Suryono ◽  
Rusmiati .
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Blood Level ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
Negative Ions ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Hot Climate ◽  
Osmotic Effects ◽  
Descriptive Method

ABSTRACTElectrolytes are salts that ionized or broken down into positive and negative ions in the body. Thefunction of liquid electrolytes in the body is to maintain the structure of the cells through osmotic effects and asan integral part of the process of cellular metabolism.This research used descriptive method by observation, interviews and measurements to determineelectrolytes blood level on the working labors. Samplings were acquired by using random sampling of 18 samplesfrom 27 populations.From the research, the majority of respondents age > 40 years (88.9%), length of working > 5 years(88.9%), drinking water intake > 2 liters (61.1%), electrolyte levels were Imbalance (72.2 %), working climatewas 31C.The conclusion of this study that the characteristics of employment and levels of electrolyte did notaffect the health of the working labors. Therefore, the company was suggested to add natural or artificialventilation thus the working climate in the workshop rooms would be comfortable.Keywords : electrolytes, hot climate, welding, personal protective equipment

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