10 May 2007
Defense Department
Issues N-95 Respirator Guidance – Including Reuse If Necessary, During A Time of
Pandemic Flu
On May 9th
the Department of Defense (DoD) announced in a press release posted on the
primary US government website for all pandemic influenza news (www.pandemicflu.gov) that “DoD Teams
with Other Agencies to Prepare U.S. for Pandemic Flu Outbreak”. This news
release included both the DoD “Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza”
dated August 2006, and a link to “Pandemic Influenza: Clinical and Public
Health Guidelines for the Military Health System”, dated
On pages 7-9
of this Clinical and Public Health Guideline are defined what the DoD terms
“Pandemic Influenza Precautions (PIP)”. Included in the 10 separate PIP
sections is one section that describes the “minimal personal protective
equipment (PPE) recommended to enter any patient room/area”. Within the five
subsections of this PPE section is the following information pertaining to N-95
respirator use and possible reuse:
“If
necessary, a disposable N-95 respirator can be reused by the same individual
with the following precautions: (1) a protective covering such as a medical
mask or a clear plastic face shield should be worn over the respirator to
protect it from surface contamination; (2) the respirator should be carefully stored
between uses; (3) wearer should wash his/her hands before and after handling
the respirator and the device used to shield it. Use surgical masks when N-95
respirators (or higher) are unavailable. Discard masks when exiting patient
room/area.”
Daniel
R. Lucey, MD, MPH
Director, Center for Biologic
Counterterrorism and Emerging Infectious
Diseases, EROne Institutes, Department
of Emergency Medicine
Adjunct Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology
Website: BePast.org
E-mail: Daniel.R.Lucey@Medstar.net