A new study has found that N95 respirators, commonly used in hospitals to protect healthcare workers from infectious pathogens such as COVID-19, can maintain their function and effectiveness for up to 25 cycles of reuse after decontamination.
Even after 25 cycles of decontamination, researchers found no change in respiratory integrity or filtration efficiency.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Infection Control, involved healthcare workers reassigning N95 respirators using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (HPV), a common disinfectant, to decontaminate them.
“VHP is a relatively safe method of reprocessing N95 respirators and could help address shortages in future outbreaks,” said Dr. Christina F. Yen, infectious disease physician and lead author of the study, in a statement. Press release.
“It is important that we now find ways to extend and translate this capability to small hospitals and resource-constrained health facilities that could benefit just as much – perhaps more – from this type of personal protective equipment reprocessing. in future disaster scenarios. “
Such information could be beneficial for healthcare facilities with limited access to personal protective equipment, as was sometimes the case during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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