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COVID-19, Personal Protective Equipment, and Human Performance
Anesthesiology
|January 6, 2021
Summary
Personal protective equipment (PPE) used by healthcare workers during COVID-19 can cause physiological and psychological challenges. Immediate and long-term strategies are needed to mitigate these effects and improve clinician safety.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare worker safety
- Infectious disease control
- Occupational health
Background:
- Clinicians require extensive personal protective equipment (PPE) when treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
- This protective gear may lead to physiological and psychological challenges for healthcare professionals.
- These challenges are normal reactions to an unusual work environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the physiological and psychological effects of PPE on clinicians treating COVID-19 patients.
- To explore potential countermeasures and mitigation strategies.
- To advocate for a systematic approach to PPE design and integration.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on PPE use in healthcare settings.
- Analysis of reported physiological and psychological effects.
- Discussion of potential interventions and future research directions.
Main Results:
- PPE use is associated with increased work of breathing, reduced vision, muffled speech, hearing difficulties, and heat stress.
- These effects are expected physiological and psychological responses, not individual weaknesses.
- Both immediate countermeasures and long-term strategies can help manage these challenges.
Conclusions:
- Addressing the challenges posed by PPE is crucial for maintaining clinician well-being and patient safety.
- A systematic approach to PPE design and implementation is necessary.
- Further research and development are needed to optimize PPE for healthcare settings.
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