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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 outbreak has necessitated the prolonged use of N95 facemasks in addition to traditional surgical facemasks by healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of wearing N95 facemasks in addition to surgical facemasks on peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) among dental professionals during routine care. Materials and Methods: This prospective study compared SpO2 and HR between dental providers wearing N95 + surgical facemasks vs. wearing a surgical facemask only. SpO2 and HR were recorded using a portable pulse oximeter before wearing the facemask (T0); at 30 min (T1); at 1 h (T2); and at the end of clinical activity (T3). Inter-group and intra-group differences were assessed with independent t tests and repeated measures ANOVA, respectively. Results: A total of 88 participants (57 wearing N95 + surgical facemasks, and 31 wearing a surgical facemask only) completed the study. The two groups did not statistically differ in SpO2 at different timepoints nor showed any intra-group differences. The participants wearing N95 + surgical facemasks exhibited a statistically higher HR at T0 (p = 0.007), T2 (p = 0.010), and T3 (p = 0.014) compared to those wearing a surgical facemask only. A statistically significant decrease was observed in HR between T0 and T3 in those wearing N95 + surgical facemasks (p = 0.012). No intra-group differences were seen in HR over time in those wearing a surgical facemask only. Conclusions: The continuous use of an N95 in addition to a surgical facemask did not show any significant effects in SpO2 during routine care; however, the concurrent use of an N95 and a surgical facemask seemed to be accompanied by a decrease in HR, although the values remained within the normal range.

Details

Title
Impact of Concurrent Use of N95 and Surgical Masks on Peripheral Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate Frequency—A Prospective Study during the COVID-19 Outbreak
Author
Alessandri-Bonetti, Anna 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Sangalli, Linda 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gallenzi, Patrizia 1 

 Department of Dental Clinic and Maxillofacial Surgery, A. Gemelli University Policlinic IRCCS, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; [email protected] (A.A.-B.); [email protected] (P.G.) 
 College of Dental Medicine—Illinois, Midwestern University, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA 
First page
276
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
ISSN
1010660X
e-ISSN
16489144
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2930982101
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.