Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia," ENT Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Department of Sensorineural Disability INAPP/Italian Institute of Social Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Ann Ig. 2021 Nov-Dec;33(6):615-627. doi: 10.7416/ai.2021.2439. Epub 2021 Apr 2.
The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) made imperative the use of protective devices as a source control tool. As there is no definite antiviral treatment and effective vaccine, the only efficient means of protecting and mitigating infectious contagion has been the use of personal protective equipment, especially by healthcare workers. However, masks affect the humidification process of inhaled air, possibly leading to a basal inflammatory state of the upper airways.
This is a single-center observational study conducted at the University Hospital of Catania from April 1, 2020, to June 31, 2020.
We analyzed the role of protective masks on the elimination of upper airways complaints in healthcare workers of the University Hospital of Catania. We evaluated 277 subjects through a self-administered 17 item questionnaire based on respiratory, work performance and health-related quality of life domains.
A higher prevalence of nasal and ocular symptoms, perceived reduced work performance, difficulty in concentrating, and sleep disorders were found. After two weeks adhering to a list of good practices that we recommended, significant reversibility of the symptoms investigated and work performance enhancement were observed.
Despite clinical complaints related to personal protective equipment, effective amelioration through usage rules is easily obtained. Given the essential use of protective masks, healthcare workers have to adhere to appropriate work and safety prevention rules.
2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的爆发使得防护设备作为一种源控制工具势在必行。由于没有明确的抗病毒治疗和有效的疫苗，保护和减轻传染病的唯一有效手段是使用个人防护设备，尤其是医护人员。然而，口罩会影响吸入空气的加湿过程，可能导致上呼吸道的基础炎症状态。
这是一项在 2020 年 4 月 1 日至 6 月 31 日在卡塔尼亚大学医院进行的单中心观察性研究。
我们分析了防护口罩在卡塔尼亚大学医院医护人员消除上呼吸道投诉中的作用。我们通过基于呼吸、工作表现和健康相关生活质量领域的 17 项自我管理问卷评估了 277 名受试者。
发现鼻腔和眼部症状、工作表现感知下降、注意力集中困难和睡眠障碍的发生率较高。在遵守我们推荐的一整套良好操作规范两周后，所调查症状和工作表现的改善具有显著的可逆转性。
尽管与个人防护设备相关的临床投诉，但通过使用规则很容易得到有效改善。鉴于防护口罩的基本使用，医护人员必须遵守适当的工作和安全预防规则。
