Effect of N95 filtering facepiece respirators on dental health professionals with an emphasis on pulmonary function and heart rate: an intrasubject comparison.
Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg
; 59(10): 1302-1307, 2021 12.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1312359
ABSTRACT
Despite the ubiquitous use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95 FFR), published literature on the topic remains scarce, especially in relation to dental professionals. This study assesses the impact of N95 FFRs on blood oxygen saturation and heart rate of dental health professionals while performing procedures requiring varying degrees of physical exertion in an aerosol-rich environment. A total of 51 participants, consisting of 43 men and eight women aged between 23 and 31 years were recruited into the study. All subjects were well-versed in wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). A clinical grade pulse oximeter was used with a clamp placed around the fingertip or the earlobe of the participant. The selection of N95 FFR was based on fit and leakage. All data were collected once from the same participants using a surgical mask as a control. Data were collected again from the same subjects after 1, 2, and 3 hours of use. There were significant differences in both oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate between the two groups after 1, 2, and 3 hours of wearing the respective masks. In healthy young individuals, wearing an N95 FFR for an extended period of time during clinical dental procedures reduced the SpO2level and increased the heart rate compared with a standard surgical mask. However, SpO2 levels remained within a healthy range of more thanâ
95%, and heart rate was within acceptable limits.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Respiratory Protective Devices
/
Occupational Exposure
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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