B95: a new respirator for health care personnel

Abstract

Background: Respiratory protection relies heavily on user compliance to be effective, but compliance among health care personnel is less than ideal.

Methods: In 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs formed the Project Better Respiratory Equipment using Advanced Technologies for Healthcare Employees (BREATHE) Working Group, composed of a variety of federal stakeholders, to discuss strategies for improving respirator compliance, including the need for more comfortable respirators.

Results: The Working Group developed 28 desirable performance characteristics that can be grouped into 4 key themes: (1) respirators should perform their intended function safely and effectively; (2) respirators should support, not interfere, with occupational activities; (3) respirators should be comfortable and tolerable for the duration of wear; and (4) respiratory protective programs should comply with federal/state standards and guidelines and local policies. As a necessary next step, the Working Group identified the need for a new class of respirators, to be called "B95," which would better address the unique needs of health care personnel.

Conclusion: This article summarizes the outputs of the Project BREATHE Working Group and provides a national strategy to develop clinically validated respirator test methods, to promulgate B95 respirator standards, and to invent novel design features, which together will lead to commercialized B95 respirators.

Keywords: Infection control; N95; Occupational health; Personal protective equipment; Respiratory protection.

Fig 1

Effect of compliance on exposure reduction. Notes: Assigned protection factor (APF) is an estimate of the exposure reduction that a type of respirator is expected to provide when used correctly. Higher APF levels are assigned to respirators types that are expected to provide better levels of exposure reduction. APFs of 10, 25, and 50 are assigned to disposable N95 respirators, loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators, and full facepiece elastomeric respirators, respectively.

Fig 2

Problems and possible solutions related to respiratory protection usage in health care.