Surge capacity refers to the ability to manage a sudden increase in patient volume that would severely challenge or exceed the present capacity of a facility. The program should include medical evaluations, training, and fit testing. Respirators, when required to protect HCP from airborne contaminants such as some infectious agents, must be used in the context of a comprehensive, written respiratory protection program that meets the requirements of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Respiratory Protection standard. Applying a combination of controls can provide an additional degree of protection, even if one intervention fails or is not available. The optimal way to prevent airborne transmission is to use a combination of interventions from across the hierarchy of controls, not just PPE alone. N95 respirators are intended to be used once and then properly disposed of and replaced with a new N95 respirator. N95 respirators are the PPE most often used to control exposures to infectious pathogens transmitted via the airborne route, though their effectiveness is highly dependent upon proper fit and use. Prompt detection and effective triage and isolation of potentially infectious patients are essential to prevent unnecessary exposures among patients, healthcare personnel (HCP), and visitors at the facility. However, exposures to transmissible respiratory pathogens in healthcare facilities can often be reduced or possibly avoided through engineering and administrative controls and PPE. To prevent infectious disease transmission, elimination (physically removing the hazard) and substitution (replacing the hazard) are not typically options for healthcare settings. This hierarchy can be represented as follows:
Multiple control strategies can be implemented concurrently or sequentially. Conventionally, a hierarchy has been used to achieve feasible and effective controls. The strategies are also listed in order of priority and preference in the Summary for Healthcare Facilities: Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators during the COVID-19 Response in an easy-to-use format for healthcare facilities.Ĭontrolling exposures to occupational hazards is a fundamental way to protect personnel. It does not address other aspects of pandemic planning for those, healthcare facilities can refer to COVID-19 preparedness plans.
TAKE AS NEEDED SIGN LIMITED SUPPLY SERIES
Purpose: This document offers a series of strategies or options to optimize supplies of disposable N95 filtering facepiece respirators (commonly called “N95 respirators”) in healthcare settings when there is limited supply. Deleted the strategy, to exclude HCP at increased risk for severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection from contact with patients with known or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection.Īudience: These considerations are intended for use by federal, state, and local public health officials, respiratory protection program managers, leaders in occupational health services and infection prevention and control programs, and other leaders in healthcare settings who are responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures for preventing pathogen transmission in healthcare settings.Added clarification and example scenarios for limited re-use.
FDA removed filtering facepiece respirators that are NIOSH-approved but have since passed the manufacturers’ recommended shelf life and removed decontaminated respirators from the scope of authorization.
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