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Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators

BACKGROUND: Shortages in personal protective equipment, especially respiratory protective devices (respirators), occurred during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Sterilization of used respirators can reduce these shortages. In this study, respirator testing was carried out...

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Autores principales: van der Vossen, J.M.B.M., Heerikhuisen, M., Traversari, R.A.A.L., van Wuijckhuijse, A.L., Montijn, R.C.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7581325/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34756844
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.10.012
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author van der Vossen, J.M.B.M.
Heerikhuisen, M.
Traversari, R.A.A.L.
van Wuijckhuijse, A.L.
Montijn, R.C.
author_facet van der Vossen, J.M.B.M.
Heerikhuisen, M.
Traversari, R.A.A.L.
van Wuijckhuijse, A.L.
Montijn, R.C.
author_sort van der Vossen, J.M.B.M.
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: Shortages in personal protective equipment, especially respiratory protective devices (respirators), occurred during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Sterilization of used respirators can reduce these shortages. In this study, respirator testing was carried out after a single cycle of sterilization. AIM: To determine if steam sterilization and re-use can be applied safely for used respirators. METHODS: An aqueous solution of NaCl (0.02% w/v) was nebulized and passed through a sample of respirator material in a cabinet. Passing particle concentrations were measured directly from the cabinet and via the filter material of the respirator for particles ≥0.3 μm, ≥0.5 μm and ≥1.0 μm in diameter. FINDINGS: Only three of 10 steam sterilized respirators met the requirement of 94% filtration efficiency. CONCLUSION: Heat sterilization cannot be applied generically for safe re-use of respirators.
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spelling pubmed-75813252020-10-23 Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators van der Vossen, J.M.B.M. Heerikhuisen, M. Traversari, R.A.A.L. van Wuijckhuijse, A.L. Montijn, R.C. J Hosp Infect Article BACKGROUND: Shortages in personal protective equipment, especially respiratory protective devices (respirators), occurred during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Sterilization of used respirators can reduce these shortages. In this study, respirator testing was carried out after a single cycle of sterilization. AIM: To determine if steam sterilization and re-use can be applied safely for used respirators. METHODS: An aqueous solution of NaCl (0.02% w/v) was nebulized and passed through a sample of respirator material in a cabinet. Passing particle concentrations were measured directly from the cabinet and via the filter material of the respirator for particles ≥0.3 μm, ≥0.5 μm and ≥1.0 μm in diameter. FINDINGS: Only three of 10 steam sterilized respirators met the requirement of 94% filtration efficiency. CONCLUSION: Heat sterilization cannot be applied generically for safe re-use of respirators. The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. 2021-01 2020-10-22 /pmc/articles/PMC7581325/ /pubmed/34756844 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.10.012 Text en © 2020 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre - including this research content - immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.
spellingShingle Article
van der Vossen, J.M.B.M.
Heerikhuisen, M.
Traversari, R.A.A.L.
van Wuijckhuijse, A.L.
Montijn, R.C.
Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators
title Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators
title_full Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators
title_fullStr Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators
title_full_unstemmed Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators
title_short Heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of FFP2 and KN95 respirators
title_sort heat sterilization dramatically reduces filter efficiency of the majority of ffp2 and kn95 respirators
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7581325/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34756844
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.10.012
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