[MCOH-EH] Mask Fit Testing

[Denise Knoblauch]

Reference is from NIOSH
Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit revised in 2022
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2015-117/pdfs/2015-117revised042022.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB2015117
If a patient is in airborne isolation for influenza and if aerosolizing procedure is being done, wear N95; otherwise wear surgical mask 
Denise Knoblauch MSN RN COHN-S/CM
Occupational Health Nurse 
Corteva Agriscience 
Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 11, 2023, at 2:10 AM, Laurie Schulz <LSchulz at gshealth.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Can you please provide a reference to the CDC's recommendation for N95 or equivalent use for HCP providing care to flu positive patients?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Laurie Schulz RN, BSN, CHIPP-B | Manager
> Infection Prevention & Employee Health
> Good Shepherd Health Care System
> 610 NW 11th Street | Hermiston, OR 97838
> DL: 541-667-3798 | Fx: 541-667-3703 | E-Mail: lschulz at gshealth.org
> Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 7am-3:30pm; Friday 7am-11am
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>   1.  Mask Fit Testing (Jakub Furmaga)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 21:48:15 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Jakub Furmaga <jfurmaga at me.com>
> To: mcoh-eh at mylist.net
> Subject: [MCOH-EH] Mask Fit Testing
> Message-ID: <f6e1be30-e74f-436f-ab1e-6cd517626935 at me.com>
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> Now that the COVID emergency is over, we are reassessing some of our current practices, including N95 Mask Fit testing. Before the pandemic, we used to mandate that everyone who per CDC was defined as having increased occupational risk for TB exposure (e.g., pulmonologists or respiratory therapists) and those working in specific settings (e.g., emergency departments) get yearly Mask Fit testing. Currently, we mandate yearly mask fit for the following groups: Clinical students Graduate medical education (GME) residents and clinical fellows Pulmonary, Emergency Medicine, Thoracic Surgery, and Infectious Disease providers Respiratory Therapy Services staff Emergency Department staff To complicate things further, the CDC recommends that those working with influenza patients wear N95 or equivalent when providing care. With flu season coming up, that would mean almost all hospital staff would need to get Fit Tested, which is difficult to do based on our institution's size. What are other people's approaches to Fit Testing? Are there any other groups for which we should mandate yearly mask fitting? Jakub Furmaga, MD Medical Director of Occupational Health UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas TX
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> The MCOH-EH List has always been moderated by members of the ACOEM Medical Center Occupational Health Section. It is currently moderated by Joe Fanucchi MD FACOEM.
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