Laboratory assessment of bacterial contamination of a sterile environment when using respirators not traditionally used in a sterile field environment.

Objective: During infectious disease outbreaks or pandemics, an increased demand for surgical N95s that create shortages and necessitate the use of alternative National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved respirators that do not meet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) additional requirements. The objective of this research was to quantify the level of bacterial contamination resulting from wearing NIOSH-approved respirators lacking the additional protections afforded by surgical N95s.

Methods: Participants performed simulated healthcare tasks while wearing 5 different respirators approved by the NIOSH.