title: Effect of wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator on superomedial orbital infrared indirect brain temperature measurements.
abstract: To determine any effect of wearing a filtering facepiece respirator on brain temperature. Subjects (n = 18) wore a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) for 1 h at rest while undergoing infrared thermography measurements of the superomedial periobital region of the eye, a non-invasive indirect method of brain temperature measurements we termed the superomedial orbital infrared indirect brain temperature (SOIIBT) measurement. Temperature of the facial skin covered by the FFR, infrared temperature measurements of the tympanic membrane and superficial temporal artery region were concurrently measured, and subjective impressions of thermal comfort obtained simultaneously. The temperature of the skin under the FFR and subjective impressions of thermal discomfort both increased significantly. The mean tympanic membrane temperature did not increase, and the superficial temporal artery region temperature decreased significantly. The SOIIBT values did not change significantly, but subjects who switched from nasal to oronasal breathing during the study (n = 5) experienced a slight increase in the SOIIBT measurements. Wearing a FFR for 1 h at rest does not have a significant effect on brain temperatures, as evaluated by the SOIIBT measurements, but a change in the route of breathing may impact these measurements. These findings suggest that subjective impressions of thermal discomfort from wearing a FFR under the study conditions are more likely the result of local dermal sensations rather than brain warming.
authors.affiliation: National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236, USA.
authors.forename: Travis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: DiLeo
authors.affiliation: National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236, USA. dtn0@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Raymond J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Roberge
authors.affiliation: National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236, USA.
authors.forename: Jung-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013696:Temperature; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Filtering facepiece respirators; Orbital infrared indirect brain temperature measurements; Thermal discomfort