Highlights
- •Qualitative fit test pass rates varied widely across FFR models.
- •Women had a higher likelihood of failure than men.
- •NIOSH-approved FFRs were designed based on data that underrepresented women.
- •Institutions should collect qualitative fit testing data to guide FFR selection.
Abstract
Background
We analyzed the qualitative fit test results of the filtering facepiece respirators
(FFRs) used at our institution to determine their performance and utility.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 12,582 qualitative fit testing results for several FFR
models among 8,809 health care workers (HCWs).
Results
The overall failure rate for HCWs was 15.2%. Nearly one-third (2933/8809, 33.3%) had
multiple FFRs fit tested. HCW sex was a statistically significant indicator of fit
testing failure (χ2 = 29.9, df = 1, P < .001), with women having a 44% higher likelihood (OR, 1.4; 95% CI: 1.27–1.65) than
men. There were statistically significant differences in the failure rate across FFRs
(Fig 4, F[5, 12475] = 8.4, P < .001). Fluidshield 46867S had a significantly higher failure rate (49%) than the
3M 1860 (P = .012), 3M 1860S (P < .001), 3M 8210 (P < .001), and Safelife (P < .001) FFRs.
Conclusions
There was a large degree of variation in fit testing results for the FFRs tested.
Although we were unable to find an FFR that fit more than 95% of the HCWs successfully,
we identified poorly functioning FFRs that can help our institution with decision-making
and budgeting for acquisition and stocking appropriate FFRs.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 01, 2022
Footnotes
Funding/support: None.
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
