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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU 2022; 12(03): 274-276
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740329
Original Article

Effect of N-95 Mask on Oxygen Saturation Level in Health Care Workers and Their Experience While Using N-95 Mask

Devika Sinha
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Satheesh Kumar Bhandary
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Rajeshwary Aroor
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Rashmitha Reddy
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Shravan Alva
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
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Abstract

Background N-95 masks are in high demand during this COVID-19 pandemic but wearing an N-95 mask is a real challenge to the health workers during their duty hours. The present study aims to measure the effect of the N-95 mask on oxygen saturation level in the blood and the discomforts experienced while using it.

Materials and Methods Oxygen saturation was measured in 80 health care workers before and after wearing the N-95 mask continuously for more than 6 hours. The participants were asked to fill a questionnaire regarding various discomforts of N-95 mask usage, which consisted of 14 questions.

Results The most common discomfort was pain around the pinna followed by difficulty in breathing and fogging of spectacles or goggles. In addition, 71% of them had decreased oxygen saturation by 1%.

Conclusion N-95 mask can alter the oxygen saturation but it does not produce significant effects in healthy individuals. It can significantly affect patients with compromised airways.

Keywords

N-95 mask - health care workers - oxygen saturation - SpO2 - COVID-19 - discomfort

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. Ethical approval from the IRB was taken.




Publication History

Article published online:
30 December 2021

© 2021. Nitte (Deemed to be University). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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