ArticleAmerican journal of infection control2016
Evaluation of the user seal check on gross leakage detection of 3 different designs of N95 filtering facepiece respirators.
Article in American journal of infection control, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed.
- Evaluation of new and conventional N95 fit-testing protocols on equivalence and reproducibility: a study protocol.Infection prevention in practice · 2026Trial
- Quantitative fit-test concordance of a pair of similar-fit 3M Aura respirator models, 3M 9320A+ and 3M 1870+: A randomized crossover study.Infection control and hospital epidemiology · 2023Trial
- Evaluating a rapid fit-testing method for N95 respirators in Chinese healthcare workers: a paired crossover simulation and diagnostic agreement study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the Mask Usability Scale: A Measure of the Perceived Usability of N95 Respirators Among Healthcare Students and Staff.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Evaluating the fit and performance of flat-fold, cup, and three-panel respirators among Thai healthcare personnel.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- A comparison of fit, heat stress, oxygen saturation and comfort between a novel reusable mask and disposable N95 respirator.PloS one · 2025Article
- International assessment results on non-NIOSH approved respirators by the national personal protective technology laboratory (NPPTL): a data note.BMC research notes · 2024Article
- Infra-Red Imaging to Detect Respirator Leak in Healthcare Workers During Fit-Testing Clinic.IEEE open journal of engineering in medicine and biology · 2024Article
- Effectiveness of fit testing versus fit checking for healthcare workers respiratory protective equipment: A systematic review.International journal of nursing sciences · 2023Review
- Evaluation of N95 respirators on fit rate, real-time leakage, and usability among Chinese healthcare workers: study protocol of a randomized crossover trial.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Assessment of Masks Used by Healthcare Workers: Development and Validation of a Mask Qualitative Assessment Tool (MQAT).Safety and health at work · 2022Article
- N95 respirators: quantitative fit test pass rates and usability and comfort assessment by health care workers.The Medical journal of Australia · 2022Article
- Assessing the filtration efficiency and regulatory status of N95s and nontraditional filtering face-piece respirators available during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Article
- Quantitative fit testing of filtering face-piece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals anthropometric deficits in most respirators available in Iran.Journal of environmental health science & engineering · 2021Article
- Cycling in one of the most polluted cities in the world: Exposure to noise and air pollution and potential adverse health impacts in Delhi.International journal of health geographics · 2021Article
- Solving The Problem of Fogged Eyewear in Orthopedic Surgeries in the COVID Scenario.Bulletin of emergency and trauma · 2021Article
- Last-resort strategies during mask shortages: optimal design features of cloth masks and decontamination of disposable masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMJ open respiratory research · 2020Review
- N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Basics, Types, and Shortage Solutions.Malaysian orthopaedic journal · 2020Article
- Tuberculosis Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities: Environmental Control and Personal Protection.Tuberculosis and respiratory diseases · 2016Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe use of N95 respirators prevents spread of respiratory infectious agents, but leakage hampers its protection. Manufacturers recommend a user seal check to identify on-site gross leakage. However, no empirical evidence is provided. Therefore, this study aims to examine validity of a user seal check on gross leakage detection in commonly used types of N95 respirators.
methodsA convenience sample of 638 nursing students was recruited. On the wearing of 3 different designs of N95 respirators, namely 3M-1860s, 3M-1862, and Kimberly-Clark 46827, the standardized user seal check procedure was carried out to identify gross leakage. Repeated testing of leakage was followed by the use of a quantitative fit testing (QNFT) device in performing normal breathing and deep breathing exercises. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios were calculated accordingly.
resultsAs indicated by QNFT, prevalence of actual gross leakage was 31.0%-39.2% with the 3M respirators and 65.4%-65.8% with the Kimberly-Clark respirator. Sensitivity and specificity of the user seal check for identifying actual gross leakage were approximately 27.7% and 75.5% for 3M-1860s, 22.1% and 80.5% for 3M-1862, and 26.9% and 80.2% for Kimberly-Clark 46827, respectively. Likelihood ratios were close to 1 (range, 0.89-1.51) for all types of respirators.
conclusionsThe results did not support user seal checks in detecting any actual gross leakage in the donning of N95 respirators. However, such a check might alert health care workers that donning a tight-fitting respirator should be performed carefully.
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