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Advances in respiratory protective equipment: practical experiences of CleanSpace® HALO™ by healthcare workers.
- Source :
- Journal of Hospital Infection; Jun2022, Vol. 124, p22-28, 7p
- Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>Personal protective equipment (PPE) offers protection from infections and hazardous materials. Advances in technology have seen rapid improvement of respiratory PPEs but real-world evaluations are needed to understand whether newer devices offer greater usability and overcome common barriers to correct use.<bold>Aim: </bold>To survey the user experiences of a new PPE device, CleanSpace® HALO™, in comparison to existing masks and respirators to determine advantages and disadvantages.<bold>Methods: </bold>Frontline healthcare workers of a large healthcare provider cluster in Singapore with practical experience of using respiratory PPE, including the CleanSpace® HALO™, were surveyed. Ease of communication, comfort, usability, ability to provide care, perceived effectiveness, barriers, and enablers to respiratory PPE use were investigated.<bold>Findings: </bold>A total of 93 respondents were included in the analysis. CleanSpace® HALO™ was rated highly in terms of perceived safety (92%), comfort (40%), and ease of donning and doffing (53%). CleanSpace® HALO™ was less disruptive to patient care (8%), although the ability to communicate effectively remained an obstacle (22%). Respondents also noted the incomplete facial protection provided by CleanSpace® HALO™.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Respiratory protective devices are integral to effective infection control protocols, but their usefulness is limited by their impact on care delivery and incorrect use. The CleanSpace® HALO™ demonstrated advantages over existing powered air purifying respirator devices but some issues remain. Future iterations must strive to overcome communication challenges and address common side-effects. Better education is also needed to improve user confidence with CleanSpace® HALO™. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01956701
- Volume :
- 124
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Hospital Infection
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 157075256
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2022.03.004