Self-contamination following removal of two personal protective equipment suits: a randomized, controlled, crossover simulation trial.

Background: Healthcare personnel are often at high risk of contamination when participating in airway management and other aerosol-generating procedures.

Aim: To explore the differences in self-contamination after removal of gown and coverall personal protective equipment (PPE) using an ultraviolet-fluorescent solution.

Methods: This prospective, randomized, controlled crossover trial was set in a third-level university health centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina between August and October 2020. The study included 60 anaesthesia personnel volunteers, and no participants were excluded from the study. A two-period/two-intervention design was chosen; each intervention comprised audio-guided placement of PPE, full-body spraying of fluorescent solution, audio-guided removal of PPE, and self-contamination assessment through ultraviolet light scanning. The primary outcome was the mean within-participant difference (any traces) between PPE suits. Statistical significance was tested using t-tests for paired data. The allocation ratio was 25/35 (gown followed by coverall/coverall followed by gown).

Findings: Self-contamination after removal of coveralls was greater than that after removal of gowns, with a mean within-participant difference of 11.45 traces (95% confidence interval 8.26-14.635; P<0.001). Significant differences were found for the number of self-contaminated body zones, small fluorescent traces and large fluorescent traces. Removal of a gown was associated with a markedly lower risk of self-contamination.

Conclusions: Quick one-step removal of a gown and gloves may reduce self-contamination in the arm/hand area. Fluorescent solutions can help to identify self-contamination and compare outcomes between available PPE suits. Repeated training sessions and enhanced knowledge on self-contamination following removal of PPE are paramount.

Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04763304 (on ClinicalTrials.gov).