COMPARISON OF COMFORT LEVELS BETWEEN LEVEL III PPE USED IN COVID-19 ISOLATION ROOMS WITH SUNS (SURGEONS OF UNS)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/fp8kjm14Keywords:
Personal Protective Equipment, COVID-19, Isolation, Comfort, HealthworkerAbstract
Introduction. In 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, impacting global health systems, including Indonesia. COVID-19 patient care required Level 3 PPE. UNS developed a PPE equivalent to Level 3, named Surgeon of UNS (SUNS). This article aims to compare the comfort level between SUNS and Level 3 PPE.
Method. This cross-sectional analytical observational study compares the comfort of Level 3 PPE and SUNS PPE. Conducted from August to September 2020, the study involved healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients. There were two groups: the intervention group with 15 participants using SUNS PPE, and the control group with 15 participants using Level 3 PPE. The measured parameters included comfort level and vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature.
Results. The study included 15 males and 15 females, with an average age of 37.83 ± 5.18 years. There was no significant difference in gender and age between the groups. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature were significantly lower with SUNS PPE (p<0.001, p=0.01, p<0.001 respectively) and oxygen saturation was significantly higher (p=0.008). Thirteen out of 15 subjects felt comfortable using SUNS PPE, while only 3 out of 15 felt comfortable using Level 3 PPE. Using SUNS PPE was significantly more comfortable, being 26 times more likely to be preferred (p<0.001, OR 26.00).
Conclusion. There is a noticeable difference in comfort between Level 3 PPE and SUNS PPE used in COVID-19 isolation rooms. SUNS PPE is significantly more comfortable, being 26 times more preferred than Level 3 PPE in these settings.
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