4.5 Article

Filtration performance of three models of N95 filtering facepiece respirators following clinical usage and vaporized hydrogen peroxide decontamination

Related references

Note: Only part of the references are listed.
Article Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Hydrogen peroxide vapor decontamination of N95 respirators for reuse

Patrick A. Kenney et al.

Summary: The study evaluated the viricidal efficacy of Bioquell vaporized hydrogen peroxide on contaminated N95 respirators, finding that a single VHP cycle could completely eradicate bacteriophage. Respirators showed acceptable inhalation/exhalation resistance limits after 3 and 5 cycles of VHP, but filtration efficiency fell below 95% after 5 cycles.

INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY (2022)

Article Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

N95 reprocessing by low temperature sterilization with 59% vaporized hydrogen peroxide during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Maimuna Jatta et al.

Summary: The study demonstrated that decontamination of N95 respirators with 59% hydrogen peroxide vapor has no significant impact on filtration efficiency or fit testing. This method can be safely used to decontaminate single-use N95 respirators in healthcare settings facing shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research and implementation may help address the ongoing challenges related to PPE shortages worldwide.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL (2021)

Article Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Use, re-use or discard? Quantitatively defined variance in the functional integrity of N95 respirators following vaporized hydrogen peroxide decontamination during the COVID-19 pandemic

C. Levine et al.

Summary: This study investigated the effects of vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) decontamination on the fit of N95 respirators, revealing a downward trend in functional integrity of certain models after multiple cycles. It also found that the fit of 3M 1870 N95 respirators was significantly reduced after decontamination and testing on a second user. Inconsistencies between qualitative fit test and QNFT results were uncovered, highlighting potential limitations of current fit testing methods.

JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION (2021)

Article Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Vapourized hydrogen peroxide decontamination in a hospital setting inactivates SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E without compromising filtration efficiency of unexpired N95 respirators

Natasha Christie-Holmes et al.

Summary: The study found that vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) effectively inactivated SARS-CoV-2 on FFRs without compromising filtration efficiency. Unexpired N95 respirators retained full filtration efficiency after VHP processing, while expired respirators were not suitable for reprocessing.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL (2021)

Article Infectious Diseases

Reprocessing of N95 masks: Experience from a resource-limited setting in India

Anusha Rohit et al.

Summary: This study investigated the possibilities of decontamination and reuse of N95 masks, with plasma sterilization recommended in low-resource settings for mask decontamination. Ethylene oxide is not recommended due to associated hazards, while evaluation of UV decontamination for N95 masks needs to be performed case by case.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (2021)

Article Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Impact of extended use and decontamination with vaporized hydrogen peroxide on N95 respirator fit

Anthony Lieu et al.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL (2020)