Literature Review of Physiological Strain of Personal Protective Equipment on Personnel in the High-Consequence Infectious Disease Isolation Environment.
Academic Article
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
Other
View All
Overview
abstract
BACKGROUND: Heat strain and dehydration can affect an individual's physical and mental performance. The purpose of this review was to examine the literature for the impact of heat strain on healthcare workers (HCWs) who care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), discuss risks of impaired safety caused by heat strain and dehydration in HCID environments, identify attempts to combat PPE-related heat strain, recognize limitations, and provide suggestions for further research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar. Authors screened abstracts for inclusion criteria and reviewed articles if abstracts were considered to include information relevant to the aim. RESULTS: The search terms yielded 30 articles that were sorted based on environment setting, physiological impact, and interventions. DISCUSSION: Safety of HCWs and patients can be enhanced through development and usage of cooler, more comfortable PPE and PPE ensembles to help slow the rate of dehydration and support regulation of core body temperature. CONCLUSIONS: Heat strain caused by wearing PPE is an occupational health concern for HCWs in the high-risk environment that is HCID care. Future studies are needed to develop innovative PPE ensembles that can reduce heat strain and improve well-being.
