Efficacy of powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) for source control of simulated respiratory aerosols.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) are a popular alternative to the use of filtering facepiece respirators for health care workers. Although PAPRs protect the wearer from aerosol particles, their ability to block infectious aerosol particles exhaled by the wearer from being released into the environment (called source control) is unclear.

Methods

The source control performance of 4 PAPRs with loose-fitting facepieces were tested using a manikin that exhales aerosol particles. The PAPRs were tested by themselves and in combination with a face-worn product intended to provide source control (either a surgical mask or an N95 filtering facepiece respirator).

Results

Two PAPR facepieces with filtration panels significantly reduced the releas

SUBMITTER: Lindsley WG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11626467 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature