ArticleThe Journal of hospital infection2020
Autoclave sterilization and ethanol treatment of re-used surgical masks and N95 respirators during COVID-19: impact on their performance and integrity.
Article in The Journal of hospital infection, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
37 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Mask decontamination methods (model N95) for respiratory protection: a rapid review.Systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Safety in the practice of decontaminating filtering facepiece respirators: A systematic review.American journal of infection control · 2021Pooled it
- Exploring options for reprocessing of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators (N95-FFRs) amidst COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.PloS one · 2020Pooled it
- Mechanical characterizations of waste face masks reinforced polyester composites: Recycling wastes into resources.Heliyon · 2024Article
- The Impacts of Plastic Waste from Personal Protective Equipment Used during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Polymers · 2023Review
- A novel investigations on medical and non-medical mask performance with influence of marine waste microplastics (polypropylene).Marine pollution bulletin · 2023Article
- Ethical challenges and dilemmas in the rationing of health commodities and provision of high-risk clinical services during COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: the experiences of frontline health workers.Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM · 2023Article
- Electrospun nanofibers for medical face mask with protection capabilities against viruses: State of the art and perspective for industrial scale-up.Applied materials today · 2023Review
- Modifying NIOSH's Manikin Fit Evaluation Method to Match Fit Testing with Human Subjects.Journal of the International Society for Respiratory Protection · 2023Article
- Article
- Release of microplastics and nanoplastics in water from disposable surgical masks after disinfection.Marine pollution bulletin · 2022Article
- Filtration efficiency of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during multi-cycles of '8-hour simulated donning + disinfection'.The Journal of hospital infection · 2022Article
- Supercritical COThe Science of the total environment · 2022Article
- Impact of Wearing on Filtration Performance of Electrostatic Filter Face Masks.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Assessment of COVID-19 prevention and protection measures in hospitals.Cleaner engineering and technology · 2022Article
- An Experimental Analysis of Five Household Equipment-Based Methods for Decontamination and Reuse of Surgical Masks.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Article
- Transmission modes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and implications for infection control: a review.Singapore medical journal · 2022Review
- The Effect of Sanitizing Treatments on Respirator Filtration Performance.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Effect of five decontamination methods on face masks and filtering facepiece respirators contaminated withAccess microbiology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAn exceptionally high demand for surgical masks and N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) during the COVID-19 pandemic has considerably exceeded their supply. These disposable devices are generally not approved for routine decontamination and re-use as a standard of care, while this practice has widely occurred in hospitals. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allowed it "as a crisis capacity strategy". However, limited testing was conducted on the impact of specific decontamination methods on the performance of N95 FFRs and no data was presented for surgical masks.
aimWe evaluated common surgical masks and N95 respirators with respect to the changes in their performance and integrity resulting from autoclave sterilization and a 70% ethanol treatment; these methods are frequently utilized for re-used filtering facepieces in hospitals.
methodsThe filter collection efficiency and pressure drop were determined for unused masks and N95 FFRs, and for those subjected to the treatments in a variety of ways. The collection efficiency was measured for particles of approximately 0.037-3.2 μm to represent aerosolized single viruses, their agglomerates, bacteria and larger particle carriers.
findingsThe initial collection efficiency and the filter breathability may be compromised by sterilization in an autoclave and ethanol treatment. The effect depends on a protective device, particle size, breathing flow rate, type of treatment and other factors. Additionally, physical damages were observed in N95 respirators after autoclaving.
conclusionStrategies advocating decontamination and re-use of filtering facepieces in hospitals should be re-assessed considering the data obtained in this study.
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