Wang Cuixia, Sharon Wong, Nurhuda Binte Mohamed Abdul Wahab and Sabrina Koh*
Volume5-Issue4
Dates: Received: 2024-03-19 | Accepted: 2024-04-13 | Published: 2024-04-15
Pages: 303-306
Abstract
The N95 respirator is imperative for Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) when caring for patients with potentially airborne infectious diseases such as COVID-19. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, HCPs were anxious and unsure if their N95 respirator still fits well. In addition, as a result of the sharp increase in demand and consequent supply disruptions for some N95 respirator models, alternative respirator models were sourced and brought in at different intervals. The Infection Prevention & Control Department (IPCD) had to react to the situation by conducting impromptu mass fit testing sessions for affected HCPs.
Quick turnaround strategy using online pre-registration for respirator fitting had helped to make the N95 respirator fit test procedure more seamless. The introduction of quantitative fit testing had also enhanced the success rate of fitting, with the majority of HCPs previously could not be successfully fitted with a N95 respirator, being now successfully fitted.
FullText HTML
FullText PDF
DOI: 10.37871/jbres1896
Certificate of Publication

Copyright
© 2024 Cuixia W, et al. Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0
How to cite this article
Cuixia W, Wong S, Abdul Wahab NBM, Koh S. N95 Respirator Fit Testing Experience during the Pandemic at a Singapore Tertiary Health Institution: Streamlining Workfl ow and Improving Respirator Fit Rate. J Biomed Res Environ Sci. 2024 Apr 15; 5(4): 303-306. doi: 10.37871/jbres1896, Article ID: JBRES1896, Available at: https://www.jelsciences.com/articles/jbres1896.pdf
Subject area(s)
References
- Bahl P, Doolan C, de Silva C, Chughtai AA, Bourouiba L, MacIntyre CR. Airborne or Droplet Precautions for Health Workers Treating Coronavirus Disease 2019? J Infect Dis. 2022 May 4;225(9):1561-1568. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa189. PMID: 32301491; PMCID: PMC7184471.
- Khan MM, Parab SR. Simple Economical Solution for Personal Protection Equipment (Face Mask/Shield) for Health Care Staff During COVID 19. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022 Oct;74(Suppl 2):2676-2680. doi: 10.1007/s12070-020-01863-4. Epub 2020 Apr 27. PMID: 32346531; PMCID: PMC7185905.
- de Perio MA, Dowell CH, Delaney LJ, Radonovich LJ, Kuhar DT, Gupta N, Patel A, Pillai SK, D'Alessandro M. Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2020 Oct;14(5):658-669. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2020.160. Epub 2020 May 19. PMID: 32423515; PMCID: PMC7303467.
- 3M. Quantitative fit testing of respirators. Technical Bulletin. 2021.