title: Airflows around oxygen masks: A potential source of infection?
abstract: Patients with respiratory infections often require the use of supplemental oxygen via oxygen masks, which, in the hospital, may become sources of aerosolized infectious pathogens. To assess this risk, a human lung model (respiration rate, 12 breaths/min) was designed to test the potential for a simple oxygen mask at a common setting (4 L/min) to disperse potentially infectious exhaled air into the surrounding area. A laser sheet was used to illuminate the exhaled air from the mask, which contained fine tracer smoke particles. An analysis of captured digital images showed that the exhaled air at the peak of simulated exhalation reached a distance of approximately 0.40 m.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: Julian W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Alexandra L N
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Matthew T V
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Paul K S
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Joseph J Y
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D008397:Masks / Q000821:virology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols