Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR ) for the protection of surgeons during operative tasks: a user perspective assessment
19 Jul, 2020Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR ) for the protection of surgeons during operative tasks: a user perspective assessment
British Journal of Surgery publishes an article talking about air purifying respirators for surgeons protection.
The unfolding COVID‐19 pandemic has challenged surgical care where aerosol‐generating operations may expose the surgical team1-3. Optimization of theatre airflow management and the application of smoke evacuation devices have been recommended and some personal protective equipment may remain for the foreseeable future. WHO guidelines advise well‐fitting respirators (for example FFP2/3 or N95 masks) for surgical teams as the minimum where there is exposure risk. These disposable masks are becoming scarce and may not offer the required protection especially when poorly fitted. Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR) are another type of respiratory protection that are validated to offer higher respiratory protection by regulatory bodies (2·5‐100x Airway Protection Factor versus N95 masks). These respirators feature a waist‐mounted battery‐powered pump that blows filtered air into a hood and are reusable. These devices are widely used in other industries but haven't been formally assessed for operating room teams.
