Microwave- and Heat-Based Decontamination for Facemask Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Protocol for a Systematic Review

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of PPE (namely surgical masks, N95 masks, and gowns) has been experienced by some hospitals and could be expected in others due to a rapidly increased need. One method of addressing the issue of PPE shortage is to decontaminate and re-use PPE. The CDC specifically recommends N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) for healthcare workers who are interacting with patients with COVID-19.There are anecdotal reports and published literature evaluating the potential of microwave and heat methods as an effective method for FFR decontamination for reuse, with mixed reports of impact on structural integrity. To date this literature has not been comprehensively synthesized and the purpose of this review is to systematically review the existing literature on microwave and heat-based decontamination of facemask PPE.This information will be used to contribute to PPE decontamination protocols at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and shared with other hospitals in Ontario, Canada, and internationally.

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Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) for Facemask Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Protocol for a Systematic Review

10.31219/osf.io/238yh ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dayre McNally ◽

Katie O'Hearn ◽

Margaret Sampson ◽

Lindsey Sikora

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Children's Hospital ◽

Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation ◽

Surgical Masks ◽

Children’S Hospital ◽

Eastern Ontario

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of PPR (namely surgical masks, N95 masks, and gowns) has been experienced by some hospitals and could be expected in others due to a rapid increase need. One method of addressing the issue of PPE shortage is to decontaminate and re-use PPE. There are anecdotal reports and published literature evaluating the potential of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) as effective method for PPE decontamination, without negatively impacting function. To date this literature has not been comprehensively synthesized and the purpose of this review is to systematically review the existing literature on UVGI for facemask PPE. This information will be used to develop a decontamination protocol for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and shared with other hospitals in Ontario, Canada, and internationally.

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Efficacy and Safety of Disinfectants for Decontamination of N95 and SN95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators: Protocol for a Systematic Review

10.31219/osf.io/8usx6 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Katie O'Hearn ◽

Richard J Webster ◽

Anne Tsampalieros ◽

Margaret Sampson ◽

Lindsey Sikora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Hydrogen Peroxide ◽

Disease Control ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Structural Integrity ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Surgical Masks ◽

Eastern Ontario

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), namely surgical masks, N95 masks, and gowns, has been experienced by some hospitals and could be expected in others due to a rapidly increased need. One method of addressing the shortage is to decontaminate and re-use PPE. The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) specifically recommends N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) for healthcare workers who are interacting with patients with COVID-19. There are anecdotal reports and published literature evaluating the potential of using disinfectants, such as hydrogen peroxide and bleach to decontaminate FFRs, with mixed reports of impact on structural integrity. To date this literature has not been comprehensively synthesized and the purpose of this review is to systematically review the existing literature on the use of disinfectants for the decontamination of facemask PPE.This information will be used to contribute to FFR decontamination protocols at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and shared with other hospitals in Ontario, Canada, and internationally.

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Personal protective equipment for reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers involved in emergency trauma surgery during the pandemic: a systematic review protocol

10.1101/2020.09.26.20201954 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dylan P Griswold ◽

Andres Gempeler ◽

Angelos Kolias ◽

Peter J. Hutchinson ◽

Andres M. Rubiano

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Systems ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Evidence Synthesis ◽

Trauma Surgery ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Cochrane Central Register

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe objective of this broad evidence synthesis is to identify and summarize the available literature regarding the efficacy of different personal protective equipment (PPE) for reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection in health personnel caring for patients undergoing trauma surgery in low-resource environments (LREs).IntroductionMany healthcare facilities in low-and middle-income countries are inadequately resourced and may lack optimal organization and governance, especially concerning surgical health systems. COVID-19 has the potential to decimate these already strained surgical healthcare services unless health systems take stringent measures to protect healthcare workers from viral exposure and ensure the continuity of specialized care for the patients.Inclusion criteriaThis review will preferentially consider systematic reviews of experimental and quasi-experimental studies, as well as individual studies of such designs, evaluating the effect of different PPE on the risk of COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in emergency trauma surgery.MethodsWe will conduct several searches in the L·OVE (Living OVerview of Evidence) platform for COVID-19, a system that performs automated regular searches in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and over thirty other sources. The search results will be presented according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram. Critical appraisal of the eligible studies for methodological quality will be conducted. Data will be extracted using the standardized data extraction tool in Covidence. Studies will, when possible, be pooled in a statistical meta-analysis using JBI SUMARI. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach for grading the certainty of evidence will be followed, and a Summary of Findings (SoF) will be created.Systematic review registration numberCRD42020198267

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Personal protective equipment-related occupational dermatoses during COVID-19 among healthcare workers – a worldwide systematic review

JAAD International ◽

10.1016/j.jdin.2021.08.004 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bryan M.H. Keng ◽

W.H. Gan ◽

Y.C. Tam ◽

C.C. Oh

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Occupational Dermatoses

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Hair Covering Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Is Essential Need for Frontline Healthcare Workers – Fight Against COVID_19

International Journal of Infectious Diseases and Research ◽

10.47485/2693-2326.1011 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Significant Role ◽

Potential Risk ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Sector ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Small Particles ◽

Surgical Masks ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers

Protective gears are recommended for airborne diseases transmitted through small particles (droplets), for this reason, the term “PPE” has become popular and much spoken of since the outbreak of COVID-19. PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment (Osha, 2019). PPE is used in most professions where the potential risk of contracting the deadly virus is high. The focus of this article will be on the healthcare sector and what significant role PPE plays in combating COVID_19 pandemic. To continually contribute to the literature, this article seeks to address how incomplete PPE can affect and increase the risk of contracting the deadly virus. Healthcare workers such as doctors, nurses, and caregivers have been and still are in the frontline fighting the COVID_19 virus, as a result, there is the need for a complete PPE including hair covering, face shields and surgical masks, to help keep them safe from contracting this transferable virus.

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SKIN DISEASES CAUSED BY THE SARS-COV-2 VIRUS AND THEIR INCREASE DURING THE USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Emergency Medical Service ◽

10.36740/emems202104110 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 265-270

Author(s):

Justyna Olszewska ◽

Anna Charuta ◽

Jerzy Ładny ◽

Klaudiusz Nadolny

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Service ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Skin Diseases ◽

Skin Barrier ◽

Hand Eczema ◽

Hand Washing ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Skin Symptoms

The aim of the study was to present skin diseases that occur during the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic, especially among healthcare workers. Literature data on skin symptoms associated with COVID-19, frequently reported, e.g. by healthcare workers in the last months of the pandemic. Properly built, healthy, undamaged skin is our protection. It is extremely important for our health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially for people working in the health service. There is an increasing number of reports of irritating dermatitis among healthcare workers due to the increased need to wear personal protective equipment and more frequent hand washing than before the pandemic. Overzealous use of disinfectants and frequent hand washing can lead to disturbances in the functioning of the skin barrier, which in turn can lead to diseases such as hand eczema. This systematic review focuses on all skin problems related to COVID-19, including primary and secondary COVID-related cutaneous presentations. Skin diseases caused by Sars-CoV-2 virus should be monitored.

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DECONTAMINATION INTERVENTIONS FOR THE REUSE OF SURGICAL MASK PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE): A PROTOCOL FOR A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

10.31219/osf.io/8wt37 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

David Zorko ◽

Karen Choong ◽

Dayre McNally ◽

Katie O'Hearn ◽

Margaret Sampson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Hydrogen Peroxide ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

High Demand ◽

Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation ◽

Surgical Masks ◽

Global Spread ◽

Single Use ◽

Novel Coronavirus

As the global spread of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) escalates, the high demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) has created shortages of this equipment globally and prompted the need to ensure appropriate stewardship and develop strategies to conserve supply. Surgical masks have broad and commonplace applications as PPE, including in the care of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients, and for the care of the general patient population in areas where community spread of COVID-19 is of concern. Surgical mask rationing and conservation is therefore a priority to ensure adequate supply during a pandemic. Several methods have been considered to decontaminate and allow the reuse of single-use PPE, such as hydrogen peroxide vapour and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, but to date this literature has not been comprehensively synthesized. The objective of this systematic review is to identify and synthesize data from published studies evaluating interventions used to decontaminate or treat surgical mask PPE for the purposes of reuse.

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Innovation at a Children’s Hospital: Personal Protective Equipment Efforts During the Pandemic

Surgical Innovation ◽

10.1177/1553350621999982 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 155335062199998

Author(s):

Justin Opfermann ◽

Anuradha Dayal ◽

Alyssa Abo ◽

Emily Thatcher ◽

Tyler Salvador ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Supply Chain ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Working Group ◽

Multidisciplinary Approach ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Scarce Resources ◽

Children's Hospital ◽

Future Needs ◽

Children’S Hospital

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected life for everyone, and hospitals, in particular have been hard hit. In this study, we describe our efforts to develop personal protective equipment at a children’s hospital early in the pandemic. We convened an innovation working group to organize our efforts and respond to the rapidly changing situation. We describe our work in four areas: (1) plexiglass shields for the emergency department, (2) face shields for clinical providers, (3) breath shields for ophthalmology, and (4) flip-up safety glasses for nurses. The hospital’s supply chain is now caught up with addressing many pandemic-related shortages. Nevertheless, through our multidisciplinary approach to reacting to the pandemic’s urgent needs, we demonstrated agility to bring stakeholders together to maximize the use of scarce resources and build resiliency. We believe this method can be rapidly replicated as future needs arise.

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