The do’s and don’ts of using masks and N95s
Common sense tips provided free by APIC
With all the post-Ebola emphasis on personal protective equipment, there’s no time like the present to review the proper use and wear of masks and respirators.
Fortunately, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has created two new fact sheets that outline key points on use of N95 respirators and procedure masks in non-surgical settings, which can be found at http://bit.ly/1MWaRTP.
More technical, arcane guidance? In a word, no. In a blessed appeal to common sense, the new APIC fliers breakdown the “Do’s and Don’ts” of procedure masks and N95 respirators in plain language approved by other key stakeholders.
“It’s an area we felt needed some clarification as well as being a good review,” says Laura Buford, RN, BSN, CIC, chair of the APIC Communications Committee and an infection preventionist at Lakeway Regional Medical Center in Austin, TX.
“It’s easy to get complacent about things that are so routine. Sometimes we forget the basics. We felt making this ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ would be beneficial for all levels of healthcare facilities.”
As employee health professionals are well aware, there has been confusion about this issue since the SARS epidemic in 2003, and probably before that. Data from the Respiratory Evaluation for Acute Care Hospitals (REACH) studies conducted during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic confirmed the need for continued education and training about respiratory PPE among healthcare professionals.1 In that regard, some of the commonly identified problems continue.
“Some things that have been reported are staff wearing the wrong type of mask, not wearing the mask correctly, masks hanging around the neck after use — ill-fitting N-95 respirators,” Buford says. “These are pretty common in conversations with different healthcare facilities when creating this guide.”
While N95 respirators are for the prevention of transmission of airborne pathogens like tuberculosis, Buford reminds that standard procedure masks are actually a part of standard precautions if the patient is symptomatic.
“Staff should wear a mask when a patient is coughing but they may not need to be on Droplet or Airborne Precautions,” she says. “Staff need to protect themselves all the time, especially when it’s not something specific that lands the patient into a transmission-based precaution.”
OSHA approval
The “Do’s and Don’ts for wearing procedure masks in non-surgical healthcare settings” and the “Do’s and Don’ts for wearing N95 respirators in non-surgical healthcare settings” are free, downloadable fact sheets that feature quick tips for wearing and safely removing the PPE.
The fliers were developed by APIC’s Communications Committee with input from the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP), and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). The recommendations also pass muster with the Occupational Safety and Health Organization.
“We always want to make sure any guidance we provide is consistent with recommendations from regulatory bodies,” Buford says. “Our goal is to help healthcare workers be safe as well as compliant.”
The new fact sheets are essentially just-in-time teaching tools as the flu and respiratory infection season continues. For example, the handout on N95 respirators includes the following Do’s:
- Check to make sure the N95 respirator has no defects such as holes or torn straps.
- Wear for protection against very small particles that float in the air (e.g., TB, measles, or chickenpox).
- Follow manufacturer’s instructions for donning and doffing of N95 respirator.
And the following Don’ts:
- Wear an N95 respirator without proper fit-testing.
- Touch the front of an N95 respirator as it is contaminated after use.
- Leave an N95 respirator hanging around your neck.
REFERENCE
- NIOSH Respirator Evaluation in Acute Care Hospitals Study (REACH). Accessed November 23, 2015. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/reach.html.
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has created two new fact sheets that outline key points on proper use and wear of N95 respirators and procedure masks in non-surgical settings.
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