Surgical Mask or Respirator for Healthcare Workers?

The surgical masks shown in this clip do not protect the wearer against the airborne droplets of an infectious disease. A real respirator is needed for healthcare workers respondinging to the current swine flu outbreak. One of the challenges for the healthcare field is to clearly understand the differences between respirators and medical masks as well as their appropriate uses. Medical masks (the term is used in this report to encompass surgical masks and procedure masks) are loose-fitting coverings of the nose and mouth designed to protect the patient from the cough or exhaled secretions of the physician, nurse, or other healthcare worker.
Medical masks are not designed or certified to protect the wearer from exposure to airborne hazards (such as tuberculosis, SARs or a pandemic flu). They may offer some limited, as yet largely undefined, protection as a barrier to splashes and large droplets. However, because of the loose-fitting design of medical masks and their lack of protective engineering, medical masks are not considered personal protective equipment. US healthcare workers should only be provided with and wear NIOSH approved respirators used within a complete respiratory protection program. This problem is discussed in detail in the September 18, 2007 US Institute of Medicine report, Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic: Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers (http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3740/29908/46095.aspx ).

Category:

Education

Tags:

• healthcare
• worker
• respirator
• respiratory
• protection
• PPE
• airborne
• inhalation
• safety
• health
• infectious
• disease
• NIOSH
• OSHA
• CDC
• IOM
• industrial
• hygiene
• APIC
• DHHS
• pandemic
• flu
• influenza
• fit
• test
• N95
• procedure
• surgical
• mask
• swine
• california
• mexico
• texas