Short-term skin reactions following use of N95 respirators and medical masks.
Contact Dermatitis
; 83(2): 115-121, 2020 Aug.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-610085
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of adverse skin reactions related to the wearing of masks have been observed.OBJECTIVES:
To analyze the short-term effects of N95 respirators and medical masks, respectively, on skin physiological properties and to report adverse skin reactions caused by the protective equipment.METHODS:
This study used a randomized crossover design with repeated measurements. Twenty healthy Chinese volunteers were recruited. Skin parameters were measured on areas covered by the respective masks and on uncovered skin 2 and 4 hours after donning, and 0.5 and 1 hour after removing the masks, including skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, pH, and sebum secretion. Adverse reactions were clinically assessed, and perceived discomfort and non-compliance measured.RESULTS:
Skin hydration, TEWL, and pH increased significantly with wearing the protective equipment. Erythema values increased from baseline. Sebum secretion increased both on the covered and uncovered skin with equipment-wearing. There was no significant difference in physiological values between the two types of equipment. More adverse reactions were reported following a N95 mask use than the use of a medical mask, with a higher score of discomfort and non-compliance.CONCLUSIONS:
This study demonstrates that skin biophysical characters change as a result of wearing a mask or respirator. N95 respirators were associated with more skin reactions than medical masks.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pain
/
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Pruritus
/
Respiratory Protective Devices
/
Skin
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Erythema
/
Facial Dermatoses
/
Pandemics
/
Masks
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
Contact Dermatitis
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Cod.13601
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