title: Disinfection of reusable elastomeric respirators by health care workers: a feasibility study and development of standard operating procedures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This was a feasibility study in a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) to be used by health care workers to disinfect reusable elastomeric respirators under pandemic conditions. Registered and licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, aides, clinical technicians, and physicians took part in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health care worker volunteers were provided with manufacturers' cleaning and disinfection instructions and all necessary supplies. They were observed and filmed. SOPs were developed, based on these observations, and tested on naïve volunteer health care workers. Error rates using manufacturers' instructions and SOPs were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When using respirator manufacturers' cleaning and disinfection instructions, without specific training or supervision, all subjects made multiple errors. When using the SOPs developed in the study, without specific training or guidance, naïve health care workers disinfected respirators with zero errors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reusable facial protective equipment may be disinfected by health care workers with minimal training using SOPs.
authors: Department of Veterans Affairs, Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, Denver, CO; Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO. Electronic address: mary.bessesen@ucdenver.edu.
authors: Mary T
authors: MT
authors: Bessesen
authors: Department of Veterans Affairs, Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, Denver, CO.
authors: Jill C
authors: JC
authors: Adams
authors: Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Occupational Health and Infection Control, Gainesville, FL; Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Occupational Health and Infection Control, Washington, DC.
authors: Lewis
authors: L
authors: Radonovich
authors: Department of Veterans Affairs, Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, Denver, CO.
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Anderson
mesh_terms: D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D020724:Elastomers; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017743:Equipment Reuse / Q000592:standards*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012015:Reference Standards; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000592:standards*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs
chemical_list: D020724:Elastomers
keywords: Disinfectants; Disinfection; Influenza; Pandemics; Respiratory protective device; Sodium hypochlorite