Prospective comprehensive evaluation of an elastic-band beard cover for filtering facepiece respirators in healthcare workers.

Objective: To undertake a healthcare-based multimodal evaluation of the combination of filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) with the elastic-band beard cover technique, including quantitative fit test (QNFT) results, skills assessment, and usability assessment.

Design And Setting: We conducted a prospective study through the Respiratory Protection Program at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from May 2022 to January 2023.

Participants: Healthcare workers who required respiratory protection and could not shave for religious, cultural, or medical reasons.

Protocol of a prospective comprehensive evaluation of an elastic band beard cover for filtering facepiece respirators in healthcare.

Individuals who are unable to be clean shaven for religious, medical or cultural reasons are unable to wear a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR), as the respirator cannot provide adequate protection against aerosol-transmissible diseases. There is currently a paucity of validated techniques to ensure the safe inclusion of bearded healthcare workers in the pandemic workforce. We propose to undertake a healthcare-based multi-modal evaluation study on the elastic band beard cover for FFR technique, examining the quantitative fit test (QNFT) results, usability and skill level of participants with repeated assessments over time.

Optimizing twin sampling tube stabilization improves quantitative fit test results for flat-fold duckbill filtering facepiece respirators.

Introduction: When performing quantitative fit testing (QNFT) on filtering facepiece respirators using an ambient aerosol technique, a twin sampling tube is connected between the condensation nuclei count machine and the probed respirator. To achieve high quality and repeatable QNFT results, robust sampling tube stabilization is required.

Methods: In this prospective randomized crossover study, conducted in December 2021 to February 2022, we compared the commonly used hand-hold technique with the manufacturer-recommended lanyard technique in stabilizing the sampling tube during QNFT on a Halyard N95 respirator.

A randomised crossover trial of two flat-fold cup respirators: BYD DE2322 N95 versus Care Essentials MSK-002 P2.

Background: The use of respiratory protection remains important in protecting health care workers from airborne pathogens such as viruses. Respirator supply is constantly changing with new models regularly becoming available. Health services should consider a broad range of factors when procuring respirators, including the results of quantitative fit testing in a representative sample of the workforce.

N95 respirators: quantitative fit test pass rates and usability and comfort assessment by health care workers.

Objectives: To compare the performance of four N95 respirator types with respect to quantitative fit test pass rate and health care worker-rated usability and comfort.

Design, Setting, Participants: Health care workers who participated in the respiratory protection program at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, 1 October 2020 - 31 May 2021. Participants underwent quantitative N95 respirator fit testing (at least three of four types: semi-rigid cup, flat-fold cup, duckbill, and three-panel flat-fold types), and were invited to complete an online usability and comfort assessment for respirators for which their fit test results were passes.