Protective Facemask Impact on Human Thermoregulation: An Overview

Roberge, Raymond J.; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Coca, Aitor

doi:10.1093/annhyg/mer069

Cited by 64 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…30 No significant differences in T chest and T aural between pregnant and non-pregnant subjects were noted (Table 1), and the minimal increases observed reflect that ~10% of body heat is normally dissipated by respiration, so that rebreathing expelled air from the N95 FFR deadspace has minimal effect on core temperature. 31 The significant effect of N95 FFR use on T chest ( P < .001) may indicate a greater effect of rebreathed warm air on the peripheral temperature of skin closest to the pulmonary system (ie, chest wall). 32 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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N95 respirator use during advanced pregnancy

Roberge

Kim

Powell

2014

American Journal of Infection Control

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Background To determine the physiological and subjective effects of wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (N95 FFR) in advanced stages of pregnancy. Methods Healthy pregnant women (n = 22) and nonpregnant women (n = 22) had physiological and subjective measurements taken with and without wearing an N95 FFR during exercise and postural sedentary activities over a 1-hour period. Results There were no differences between the pregnant and nonpregnant women with respect to heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, transcutaneous carbon dioxide level, chest wall temperature, aural temperature, and subjective perceptions of exertion and thermal comfort. No significant effect on fetal heart rate was noted. Conclusions Healthy pregnant women wearing an N95 FFR for 1 hour during exercise and sedentary activities did not exhibit any significant differences in measured physiological and subjective responses compared with nonpregnant women.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The greater heat perception among all subjects when wearing an N95 FFR ( P ≤ .001) is likely related to the respirator’s barrier effects on facial skin heat loss mechanisms (evaporation, convection) and increased N95 FFR dead space temperature. 31 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

N95 respirator use during advanced pregnancy

Roberge

Kim

Powell

2014

American Journal of Infection Control

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“…The current study’s reported lower Δ values, when comparing respirator trials with controls, may be attributable to different mechanisms. The respiratory tract is responsible for 10–15 % of body heat elimination (depending on level of activity and environmental conditions) [6] and the use of N95 FFRs results in an increase in the respiratory rate and minute volume [18, 19], such that greater respiratory heat dissipation may account for our observed lower mean TMT Δ values with N95 FFR use. Similarly, the increased minute ventilation associated with pregnancy [20] would serve to augment respiratory heat dissipation and may have impacted the results in investigation b [12] where a downward trend in TMT from baseline is observed throughout the 1 h of N95 FFR wear compared with controls (Table 2).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prior research has shown that local alterations of facial, scalp and neck temperatures can impact TMT, presumably due to thermal effects on local dermal blood vessels that share circulation with vessels supplying the tympanic membrane [3–5]. Increased skin temperature, with concomitant warming of local dermal vessels in that area of the face covered by protective facemasks, results from a barrier effect upon local heat release mechanisms (i.e., facial skin heat convection, radiation and sweat evaporation) and from the trapping of warmed exhaled air in the mask deadspace [6–8]. Therefore, it is plausible that the TMT of patients wearing protective facemasks may be elevated over baseline values and thus negatively impact the clinical utility of the measurements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of wearing an N95 respirator on infrared tympanic membrane temperature measurements

Kim

Roberge

Powell

2014

J Clin Monit Comput

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To determine the impact of wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (N95 FFR) on tympanic temperature measurements. TMT measurements, with and without wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (N95 FFR) were obtained at the onset and termination of 1 h of treadmill exercise in 21 subjects, and at staggered time intervals (0, 20, 40, 60 min) during combined sedentary activity and exercise of another 46 subjects, to determine any effect on TMT. A total of 877 TMT measurements were obtained that demonstrated a mean TMT increase of 0.05 °C in the first study group (p = 0.04) and a 0.19 °C decrease in the second study group (p < 0.001) with the wearing of an N95 FFR, both of which were lower than controls. Wearing an N95 FFR for 1 h, at different levels of activity, results in significantly lower TMT values than not wearing an N95 FFR, but the magnitude of the changes would likely have minimal clinical significance.

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“…regards thermal discomfort that is manifested as subjective impressions of increases in facial warmth or total body heat [1–3]. This is an important issue given that thermal intolerance to protective facemasks impacts compliance and, by extension, protection [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator on superomedial orbital infrared indirect brain temperature measurements

DiLeo

Roberge²,

Kim³

2016

J Clin Monit Comput

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Purpose To determine any effect of wearing a filtering facepiece respirator on brain temperature. Methods Subjects (n=18) wore a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) for 1h at rest while undergoing infrared thermography measurements of the superomedial periobital region of the eye, a non-invasive indirect method of brain temperature measurements we termed the superomedial orbital infrared indirect brain temperature (SOIIBT) measurement. Temperature of the facial skin covered by the FFR, infrared temperature measurements of the tympanic membrane and superficial temporal artery region were concurrently measured, and subjective impressions of thermal comfort obtained simultaneously. Results The temperature of the skin under the FFR and subjective impressions of thermal discomfort both increased significantly. The mean tympanic membrane temperature did not increase, and the superficial temporal artery region temperature decreased significantly. The SOIIBT values did not change significantly, but subjects who switched from nasal to oronasal breathing during the study (n=5) experienced a slight increase in the SOIIBT measurements. Conclusions Wearing a FFR for 1h at rest does not have a significant effect on brain temperatures, as evaluated by the SOIIBT measurements, but a change in the route of breathing may impact these measurements. These findings suggest that subjective impressions of thermal discomfort from wearing a FFR under the study conditions are more likely the result of local dermal sensations rather than brain warming.

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Protective Facemask Impact on Human Thermoregulation: An Overview

Cited by 64 publications

References 81 publications

N95 respirator use during advanced pregnancy

N95 respirator use during advanced pregnancy

Effect of wearing an N95 respirator on infrared tympanic membrane temperature measurements

Effect of wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator on superomedial orbital infrared indirect brain temperature measurements

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