scholarly journals Decontamination Interventions for the Reuse of Surgical Mask Personal Protective Equipment: A Protocol for an Updated Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J Zorko ◽  
Karen Choong ◽  
James Dayre McNally ◽  
Katie O'Hearn ◽  
Lindsey Sikora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
High Demand ◽  
Related Literature ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Health Administrators

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed surgical and medical facemask PPE in high demand. Their use spans a variety of healthcare settings and many hospitals have implemented universal masking policies. Furthermore, the emergence of COVID-19 variants with greater transmissibility and infectivity has led some countries to recommend or mandate widespread public use of 3-layer medical masks in lieu of homemade masks or face coverings. Since the publication of our original systematic review, COVID-19-related literature has evolved from >2000 citations in mid-March 2020 to >80,000 citations by the beginning of December 2020. Coupled with the protracted course of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to threaten facemask PPE supply and demand, an updated systematic review on decontamination interventions for surgical masks is needed to reflect critical new evidence in order to best inform clinicians, infection control experts, and public health administrators on how best to advise safe decontamination and reuse practices. The objective of this systematic review is to update a previously conducted systematic review and identify and synthesize new data from published studies evaluating interventions used to decontaminate or treat surgical mask PPE for the purposes of reuse.

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

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.

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

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.

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

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dayre McNally ◽  
Katie O'Hearn ◽  
Shira Gertsman ◽  
Margaret Sampson ◽  
Lindsey Sikora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Children's Hospital ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
Children’S Hospital ◽  
Eastern Ontario

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.

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

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.

scholarly journals Personal Protective Equipment: Challenges and Strategies to Combat COVID-19 in India: A Narrative Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeraj Sharma ◽  
Zubeda Hasan ◽  
Anoop Velayudhan ◽  
Emil M. A. ◽  
D. K. Mangal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Public Health Professionals

The current outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a pandemic. All COVID-19-affected countries in the world are implementing containment interventions and trying their best to fight against the disease to halt the further spread of the infection and to reduce mortality. The public health workforce and healthcare staff in clinical settings are playing a crucial role in the early detection of cases, contact tracing and treatment of patients. The availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and their consistent, proper use by healthcare providers and public health professionals is a crucial factor in combating any infectious disease in a crisis. The requirement of PPE has exponentially increased, as more and more countries are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid spread of the pandemic has created a temporary shortage of PPE in many countries, including India. The lack of PPE has affected the morale of healthcare workers (HCWs) and other frontline warriors in fighting the coronavirus disease, as more than 22,000 health workers in 56 countries have suffered from COVID-19. Some of them have succumbed to it across all countries, including India (WHO). We have reviewed the available literature to understand the challenges in ensuring adequate availability and consistent use of PPE and the strategies for the rational use of PPE in India. Our study reveals that India has responded swiftly to enhance the accessibility of PPE and put in place strategies for the judicious use of PPE to reduce the incidence of the COVID-19 infection to a bare minimum in healthcare settings. In the present article, we report the current status of COVID-19 among HCWs. We have reviewed the challenges and the surge strategies adopted by India to produce or procure good-quality PPE and supply it to all service delivery points in adequate quantities.

RESEARCH: Dry Heat Processing of Single-Use Respirators and Surgical Masks

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 410-416
Author(s):  
Joyce M. Hansen ◽  
Scott Weiss ◽  
Terra A. Kremer ◽  
Myrelis Aguilar ◽  
Gerald McDonnell
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Airborne Particles ◽  
Heat Processing ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Dry Heat ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
Single Use

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has challenged healthcare providers in maintaining the supply of critical personal protective equipment, including single-use respirators and surgical masks. Single-use respirators and surgical masks can reduce risks from the inhalation of airborne particles and microbial contamination. The recent high-volume demand for single-use respirators and surgical masks has resulted in many healthcare facilities considering processing to address critical shortages. The dry heat process of 80°C (176°F) for two hours (120 min) has been confirmed to be an appropriate method for single-use respirator and surgical mask processing.

WikiRecs primary care: developing rapid recommendations for primary care through effective collaboration between systematic review and guideline teams

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp18X697085
Author(s):  
Trudy Bekkering ◽  
Bert Aertgeerts ◽  
Ton Kuijpers ◽  
Mieke Vermandere ◽  
Jako Burgers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Urinary Stones ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Supervised Exercise ◽  
Review Team ◽  
New Evidence

BackgroundThe WikiRecs evidence summaries and recommendations for clinical practice are developed using trustworthy methods. The process is triggered by studies that may potentially change practice, aiming at implementing new evidence into practice fast.AimTo share our first experiences developing WikiRecs for primary care and to reflect on the possibilities and pitfalls of this method.MethodIn March 2017, we started developing WikiRecs for primary health care to speed up the process of making potentially practice-changing evidence in clinical practice. Based on a well-structured question a systematic review team summarises the evidence using the GRADE approach. Subsequently, an international panel of primary care physicians, methodological experts and patients formulates recommendations for clinical practice. The patient representatives are involved as full guideline panel members. The final recommendations and supporting evidence are disseminated using various platforms, including MAGICapp and scientific journals.ResultsWe are developing WikiRecs on two topics: alpha-blockers for urinary stones and supervised exercise therapy for intermittent claudication. We did not face major problems but will reflect on issues we had to solve so far. We anticipate having the first WikiRecs for primary care available at the end of 2017.ConclusionThe WikiRecs process is a promising method — that is still evolving — to rapidly synthesise and bring new evidence into primary care practice, while adhering to high quality standards.

COVID-19: The Importance of Adequate Personal Protective Equipment in Healthcare Medical Staff

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Weissenstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Emotional Resilience ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
And Control

We present an update on infection prevention and control for COVID-19 in healthcare settings. This update focuses on measures to be applied in settings with increasing community transmission, growing demand for concern about COVID-19 patients, and subsequent staffing issues in the event of shortages of personal protective equipment for healthcare facilities worldwide. The comfort and emotional resilience of health care workers are key components in maintaining essential health care services during the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) outbreak.

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