Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33857782›Full record

Trial reportAmerican journal of otolaryngology

N95 respirator reuse, decontamination methods, and microbial burden: A randomized controlled trial.

Zi Yang Jiang, Zhen Huang, Isaac Schmale, Eric L Brown, Michael C Lorenz, Scott J Patlovich, Karan Goswami, Hannah B Wilson, Jumah Ahmad, Ronda Alexander and 11 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in American journal of otolaryngology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Personal protective equipment in GI endoscopy.iGIE : innovation, investigation and insights · 2023
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Zi Yang JiangDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Zhen HuangDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Isaac SchmaleDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
Eric L BrownDepartment of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
Michael C LorenzDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Scott J PatlovichOffice of Safety, Health Environment, and Risk Management, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Karan GoswamiRothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Hannah B WilsonDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jumah AhmadDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Ronda AlexanderDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
William BryanOffice of Safety, Health Environment, and Risk Management, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Luke BurkeDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Martin J CitardiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Jose EliasDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Tang HoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Jack JacobOffice of Safety, Health Environment, and Risk Management, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Garren LowDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Pedro MiramónDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Aniruddha U PatkiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
William C YaoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
Amber U LuongDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Immunology and Autoimmune Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: amber.u.luong@uth.tmc.edu.

Funding

Characterization of novel virulence factors in CandidaR01AI143304 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI LORENZ, MICHAEL C · 2019 to 2024
$2.6M
Inhibition of Candida Virulence and Biofilm Formation by a Bacterial PeptideR01DE027608 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI GARSIN, DANIELLE A, LORENZ, MICHAEL C · 2018 to 2022
$2.5M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI143304NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE027608
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo evaluate the effectiveness and ease of N95 respirator decontamination methods in a clinic setting and to identify the extent of microbial colonization on respirators associated with reuse.

methodsIn a prospective fashion, N95 respirators (n = 15) were randomized to a decontamination process (time, dry heat, or ultraviolet C light [UVC]) in outpatient clinics. Each respirator was re-used up to 5 separate clinic sessions. Swabs on each respirator for SARS-CoV-2, bacteria, and fungi were obtained before clinic, after clinic and post-treatment. Mask integrity was checked after each treatment (n = 68). Statistical analyses were performed to determine factors for positive samples.

resultsAll three decontamination processes reduced bacteria counts similarly. On multivariate mixed model analysis, there were an additional 8.1 colonies of bacteria (95% CI 5.7 to 10.5; p < 0.01) on the inside compared to the outside surface of the respirators. Treatment resulted in a decrease of bacterial load by 8.6 colonies (95% CI -11.6 to -5.5; p < 0.01). Although no decontamination treatment affected the respirator filtration efficiency, heat treatments were associated with the breakdown of thermoplastic elastomer straps. Contamination with fungal and SARS-CoV-2 viral particles were minimal to non-existent.

conclusionsTime, heat and UVC all reduced bacterial load on reused N95 respirators. Fungal contamination was minimal. Heat could permanently damage some elastic straps making the respirators nonfunctional. Given its effectiveness against microbes, lack of damage to re-treated respirators and logistical ease, UVC represents an optimal decontamination method for individual N95 respirators when reuse is necessary.

Indexed as

Equipment ReuseColony Count, MicrobialCOVID-19DecontaminationHot TemperatureHumansInfectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-ProfessionalN95 RespiratorsProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Time FactorsUltraviolet RaysDecontaminationN95 respiratorsReuse respiratorsSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID33857782
PMCPMC8403130

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.