Can Homemade Fit Testing Solutions be as Effective as Commercial Products?

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avondale-bepress-to-dspace.facultyNursing
avondale-bepress-to-dspace.peer_review_statusPeer reviewed before publication
avondale-bepress.abstract<p><strong>Background:</strong> Fit testing is used to determine whether a N95 mask will provide respiratory protection for the wearer by preventing inhalation of airborne transmitted microorganisms. National guidelines recommend that healthcare workers (HCW) who use N95 masks require fit testing. Quantitative fit testing requires the purchasing and use of fit testing solutions and associated equipment. In high volume, these solutions are expensive and may not be readily available, as was seen in the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine how a homemade solution compared against a commercially available product and a placebo.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> A fit test was performed on the same person, on three separate occasions, using three different solutions – commercial (45% sodium saccharin), homemade (to be disclosed) and placebo (water). The solution was double blinded and solutions were chosen and administered in a random order.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> A total of 48 people participated in this study. At the threshold testing stage, 8.3% did not taste any solution, 16.7% of people could taste the placebo, 89.6% could taste the commercial solution and 91.7% could taste the homemade solution. All persons who could taste the commercial solution could taste homemade solution.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings of our study suggest that fit testing solutions could be made locally with a similar effect to that of commercial products, that quantitative fit testing is unreliable and that serious consideration should be given to the role of quantitative fit testing in future guidelines and standards. We recommend that this study be conducted on a larger scale to support our findings.</p>
avondale-bepress.articleid1038
avondale-bepress.authorsBrett G Mitchell
avondale-bepress.authorsAnne Wells
avondale-bepress.authorsAlistair McGregor
avondale-bepress.authorsDuncan McKenzie
avondale-bepress.context-key4995040
avondale-bepress.coverpage-urlhttps://research.avondale.edu.au/nh_papers/37
avondale-bepress.document-typearticle
avondale-bepress.field.author_faculty_disciplineNursing
avondale-bepress.field.avon_earlyonline2012-10-23T00:00:00-07:00
avondale-bepress.field.comments<p>Due to copyright restrictions this article is unavailable for download</p> <p>This article may be accessed from the publisher <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=HI12019">here</a></p>
avondale-bepress.field.custom_citation<p>Mitchell, B., Wells, A., McGregor, A., & McKenzie, D. (2012). Can homemade fit testing solutions be as effective as commercial products? <em>Healthcare Infection, 17</em>(4), 111-114. doi:10.1071/HI12019</p>
avondale-bepress.field.doihttps://doi.org/10.1071/HI12019
avondale-bepress.field.email_boxtrue
avondale-bepress.field.embargo_date2014-01-16T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.field.field_of_education06 Health
avondale-bepress.field.for060502 Infectious Agents
avondale-bepress.field.issn1835-5617
avondale-bepress.field.issue_number4
avondale-bepress.field.journalHealthcare Infection
avondale-bepress.field.page_numbers111-114
avondale-bepress.field.peer_reviewBefore publication
avondale-bepress.field.publication_date2012-12-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.field.reportable_itemsC1
avondale-bepress.field.source_fulltext_urlhttps://www.publish.csiro.au/HI/HI12019
avondale-bepress.field.source_publication<p>This article was originally published as:</p> <p>Mitchell, B., Wells, A., McGregor, A., & McKenzie, D. (2012). Can homemade fit testing solutions be as effective as commercial products? <em>Healthcare Infection, 17 </em> (4), 111-114. doi: 10.1071/HI12019</p> <p>ISSN: 1835-5617</p>
avondale-bepress.field.staff_classificationPermanent
avondale-bepress.field.volume_number17
avondale-bepress.keywordsinfection control
avondale-bepress.keywordspublic health
avondale-bepress.keywordspandemic
avondale-bepress.keywordshealth and safety
avondale-bepress.label37
avondale-bepress.publication-date2012-12-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.publication-titleNursing and Health Papers and Journal Articles
avondale-bepress.statepublished
avondale-bepress.submission-date2014-01-16T18:42:43Z
avondale-bepress.submission-pathnh_papers/37
avondale-bepress.titleCan Homemade Fit Testing Solutions be as Effective as Commercial Products?
avondale-bepress.typearticle
dc.contributor.authorMcKenzie, Duncan
dc.contributor.authorMcGregor, Alistair
dc.contributor.authorWells, Anne
dc.contributor.authorMitchell, Brett G.
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-01T00:37:41Z
dc.date.available2023-11-01T00:37:41Z
dc.date.issued2012-12-01
dc.date.submitted2014-01-16T18:42:43Z
dc.description.abstract<p><strong>Background:</strong> Fit testing is used to determine whether a N95 mask will provide respiratory protection for the wearer by preventing inhalation of airborne transmitted microorganisms. National guidelines recommend that healthcare workers (HCW) who use N95 masks require fit testing. Quantitative fit testing requires the purchasing and use of fit testing solutions and associated equipment. In high volume, these solutions are expensive and may not be readily available, as was seen in the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine how a homemade solution compared against a commercially available product and a placebo.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> A fit test was performed on the same person, on three separate occasions, using three different solutions – commercial (45% sodium saccharin), homemade (to be disclosed) and placebo (water). The solution was double blinded and solutions were chosen and administered in a random order.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> A total of 48 people participated in this study. At the threshold testing stage, 8.3% did not taste any solution, 16.7% of people could taste the placebo, 89.6% could taste the commercial solution and 91.7% could taste the homemade solution. All persons who could taste the commercial solution could taste homemade solution.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings of our study suggest that fit testing solutions could be made locally with a similar effect to that of commercial products, that quantitative fit testing is unreliable and that serious consideration should be given to the role of quantitative fit testing in future guidelines and standards. We recommend that this study be conducted on a larger scale to support our findings.</p>
dc.description.versionBefore publication
dc.identifier.citation<p>Mitchell, B., Wells, A., McGregor, A., & McKenzie, D. (2012). Can homemade fit testing solutions be as effective as commercial products? <em>Healthcare Infection, 17</em>(4), 111-114. doi:10.1071/HI12019</p>
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1071/HI12019
dc.identifier.issn1835-5617
dc.identifier.urihttps://research.avondale.edu.au/handle/123456789/04995040
dc.language.isoen_us
dc.provenance<p>This article was originally published as:</p> <p>Mitchell, B., Wells, A., McGregor, A., & McKenzie, D. (2012). Can homemade fit testing solutions be as effective as commercial products? <em>Healthcare Infection, 17 </em> (4), 111-114. doi: 10.1071/HI12019</p> <p>ISSN: 1835-5617</p>
dc.rights<p>Due to copyright restrictions this article is unavailable for download</p> <p>This article may be accessed from the publisher <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=HI12019">here</a></p>
dc.subjectinfection control
dc.subjectpublic health
dc.subjectpandemic
dc.subjecthealth and safety
dc.titleCan Homemade Fit Testing Solutions be as Effective as Commercial Products?
dc.typeJournal Article
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