A Review of Decontamination Methods for Filtering Facepiece Respirators.

During the current COVID-19 infectious disease pandemic, the demand for NIOSH-approved filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) has exceeded supplies and decontamination and reuse of FFRs has been implemented by various user groups. FFR decontamination and reuse is only intended to be implemented as a crisis capacity strategy. This paper provides a review of decontamination procedures in the published literature and calls attention to their benefits and limitations.

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation of influenza-contaminated N95 filtering facepiece respirators.

Background: Safe and effective decontamination and reuse of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) has the potential to significantly extend FFR holdings, mitigating a potential shortage due to an influenza pandemic or other pandemic events. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has been shown to be effective for decontaminating influenza-contaminated FFRs. This study aims to build on past research by evaluating the UVGI decontamination efficiency of influenza-contaminated FFRs in the presence of soiling agents using an optimized UVGI dose.

Assessment of half-mask elastomeric respirator and powered air-purifying respirator reprocessing for an influenza pandemic.

Background: Health care facilities are considering the use of reusable respiratory protective devices (RPDs) to mitigate a potential N95 filtering facepiece respirator shortage caused by an influenza pandemic. US regulators are also considering stockpiling reusable RPDs for pandemic preparedness, but limited data exist on the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection of these devices. This study defines reprocessing protocols and evaluates their effectiveness against a pandemic influenza strain in a laboratory setting.

Capture of 0.1-μm aerosol particles containing viable H1N1 influenza virus by N95 filtering facepiece respirators.

Nosocomial infections pose an escalating threat to both patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). A widely recommended device for individual respiratory protection, the N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) has been shown to provide efficient filtration of inert particles larger and smaller than the nominal most-penetrating particle size (MPPS) range, 0.03-0.

Bioaerosol exposure to personnel in a clinical environment absent patients.

Nosocomial infections pose a significant and escalating threat to both patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). By their nature, hospitals induce antibiotic resistance in virulent and commensal strains, leading to increasingly severe hospital-acquired infections. This study measured environmental exposure experienced by domestic staff cleaning vacated patient rooms of a community hospital to bacteria in ambient bioaerosols.

Sterility maintenance study: Dynamic evaluation of sterilized rigid containers and wrapped instrument trays to prevent bacterial ingress.

Background: Sterilized packaging systems are designed to maintain the sterility of surgical instruments and devices from the time of sterilization until use. This study evaluated the effectiveness of rigid containers versus wrapped instrument trays, sterilized using North American sterilization protocols, to maintain a sterile internal environment poststerilization when challenged with aerosolized bacteria under dynamic environmental conditions.

Methods: Using a custom aerosol chamber, 111 rigid containers of various durations of use (unused, used <5 years, used 5-9 years) and 161 wrapped trays using 3 grades of sterilization wrap were challenged with ~10(2) colony-forming units per liter of air containing aerosolized Micrococcus luteus with a count median particle size of 1 μm, while simultaneously experiencing air volume exchanges due to vacuum cycles-two 1-psi cycles, three 0.

Correlation of respirator fit measured on human subjects and a static advanced headform.

This study assessed the correlation of N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) fit between a Static Advanced Headform (StAH) and 10 human test subjects. Quantitative fit evaluations were performed on test subjects who made three visits to the laboratory. On each visit, one fit evaluation was performed on eight different FFRs of various model/size variations.

Cleaning of filtering facepiece respirators contaminated with mucin and Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: Decontamination, cleaning, and reuse of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) has been proposed to mitigate an acute FFR shortage during a public health emergency. Our study evaluates the ability of commercially available wipe products to clean FFRs contaminated with either infectious or noninfectious aerosols.

Methods: Three models of surgical N95 FFRs were contaminated with aerosols of mucin or viable Staphylococcus aureus then cleaned with hypochlorite, benzalkonium chloride, or nonantimicrobial wipes.

Development of an advanced respirator fit-test headform.

Improved respirator test headforms are needed to measure the fit of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) for protection studies against viable airborne particles. A Static (i.e.

Challenge of N95 filtering facepiece respirators with viable H1N1 influenza aerosols.

OBJECTIVE. Specification of appropriate personal protective equipment for respiratory protection against influenza is somewhat controversial. In a clinical environment, N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are often recommended for respiratory protection against infectious aerosols.

Effectiveness of three decontamination treatments against influenza virus applied to filtering facepiece respirators.

Filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are recommended for use as precautions against airborne pathogenic microorganisms; however, during pandemics demand for FFRs may far exceed availability. Reuse of FFRs following decontamination has been proposed but few reported studies have addressed the feasibility. Concerns regarding biocidal efficacy, respirator performance post decontamination, decontamination cost, and user safety have impeded adoption of reuse measures.

A pandemic influenza preparedness study: use of energetic methods to decontaminate filtering facepiece respirators contaminated with H1N1 aerosols and droplets.

Background: A major concern among health care experts is a projected shortage of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) during an influenza pandemic. One option for mitigating an FFR shortage is to decontaminate and reuse the devices. Many parameters, including biocidal efficacy, filtration performance, pressure drop, fit, and residual toxicity, must be evaluated to verify the effectiveness of this strategy.