A pilot study of minimum operational flow for loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators used in healthcare cleaning services. Issue 7 (3rd July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, Jintuo; He, Xinjian; Bergman, Michael S.; Guffey, Steven; Nimbarte, Ashish D.; Zhuang, Ziqing
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene. Volume 16:Issue 7(2019)
• Page Start: 440
• Page End: 445
• Publication Date: 2019-07-03
• Subjects: Healthcare workers -- minimum operational flow -- minute volume -- peak inhalation flow -- powered air-purifying respirators -- respiratory flow; Industrial hygiene -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Occupational Health -- Periodicals; Environmental Exposure -- Periodicals; Environmental Health -- Periodicals; Occupational Exposure -- Periodicals; Hygiène industrielle -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Médecine du travail -- Périodiques; 613.62
• DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2019.1605241
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1545-9624

Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this pilot study was to determine the minimum operational flow for loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) used in healthcare cleaning services. An innovative respiratory flow recording device was worn by nine healthcare workers to obtain the minute volume (MV, L/min), mean inhalation flow (MIF, L/min), and peak inhalation flow (PIF, L/min) while performing "isolation unit work" (cleaning and disinfecting) of a patient room within 30 min. The MV and PIF were compared with the theoretical values obtained from an empirical formula. The correlations of MV, MIF, and PIF with subjects' age, weight, height, body surface area (ADu ), and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed. The average MV, MIF, and PIF were 33, 74, and 107 L/min, with maximal airflow rates of 41, 97, and 145 L/min, respectively, which are all below the current 170 L/min minimum operational flow for NIOSH certified loose-fitting PAPRs.