Anatomy Lab and Asthma

[Chimichica]

So I have severe asthma, and I was wondering if anyone has attended a school that accomadates this for anatomy lab. I could not take cadaver dissection due to this and was really bummed out! Fyi, the asthma is a recent diagnosis so when I originally took A&P years ago, I did not have this issue. The formaldehyde is just too much of an irritant. I honestly cannot even enter the room unless it's been aired out. Respirator masks are not a viable option seeing as how they limit the amount of air and oxygen so being in the lab for hours on end is an issue. If anyone knows of any medical schools MD or DO that have a way around this, please chime in! I was hoping that some school have a virtual lab option, but that is not the case. I'm not planning on being a surgeon, but I know this is be a consistent hurdle for me.

...it ain't easy being wheezy...

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[IMGASMD]

Respirator masks are not a viable option seeing as how they limit the amount of air and oxygen....

Will you explain this to me? How will the mask limit oxygen?

Not to minimize your current struggle, only trying to understand the physiology. I cannot believe you’re the only asthmatic student who has ever gone through this situation. Ask what they, your deans, professors did.

 

[ciestar]

I ended up skipping lab a lot toward the end of the year because of this. My asthma isn’t even close to severe. Just talk to your lab coordinators wherever you end up, they can make accomodations.

 

[subdermallight]

So I have severe asthma, and I was wondering if anyone has attended a school that accomadates this for anatomy lab. I could not take cadaver dissection due to this and was really bummed out! Fyi, the asthma is a recent diagnosis so when I originally took A&P years ago, I did not have this issue. The formaldehyde is just too much of an irritant. I honestly cannot even enter the room unless it's been aired out. Respirator masks are not a viable option seeing as how they limit the amount of air and oxygen so being in the lab for hours on end is an issue. If anyone knows of any medical schools MD or DO that have a way around this, please chime in! I was hoping that some school have a virtual lab option, but that is not the case. I'm not planning on being a surgeon, but I know this is be a consistent hurdle for me.

...it ain't easy being wheezy...

Did you get fit tested for a respirator or does asthma automatically disqualify you? I’ve used an “organic vapor” respirator cartridge from Home Depot (3M) and it was absolutely incredible (I was staining wood, but found I wasn’t even able to smell the organic vapors from the trash in my garage). Do a pulmonary function test to see what your baseline is, and if there’s scarring. If not, then maybe you can get medically cleared for this? If you’re extremely sensitive though then it’s probably not worth the risk regardless. I’m sure there will be accommodations for you (you can always read through the “technical standards” at each school to double check but that’s probably unnecessary).

 

[siliso]

I guess you can wear yourself a PAPR if the situation is dire enough, yeah? You’re going to look weird in the lab but the job will get done.

 

[subdermallight]

I guess you can wear yourself a PAPR if the situation is dire enough, yeah? You’re going to look weird in the lab but the job will get done.

On some level I feel like that could look really cool in a sci-fi kind of way

 

[Chimichica]

I guess you can wear yourself a PAPR if the situation is dire enough, yeah? You’re going to look weird in the lab but the job will get done.

What is a PAPR?

 

[subdermallight]

What is a PAPR?

 

[Chimichica]

Will you explain this to me? How will the mask limit oxygen?

Not to minimize your current struggle, only trying to understand the physiology. I cannot believe you’re the only asthmatic student who has ever gone through this situation. Ask what they, your deans, professors did.

Well if I'm sitting and doing nothing then theoretically there is plenty of O2. The problem is increased respiratory rate and decreased flow of air along with humidity under the N95 respirators and others do not allow for adequate air flow especially when moving around the lab. My current line of work requires that I wear a regular mask for the entire shift. I can no longer work in the areas that require N95 mask because decreased air flow coupled with increased expiration of CO2 makes it hard to breathe. Its uncomfortable but tolerable with the regular masks. But that will not cut it for the organic solvents which have an adverse effect on wet tissue such as the lungs. I'm just more sensitive and again my asthma is severe. So I'd rather not code in the lab. I mean I'm sure there are people whom are preggo or have cultural reasons for not doing anatomy lab, so I wonder what those people do. I just figured there would be alternate options out there.

 

[Chimichica]

Well that's nifty looking lol. I wonder if anyone has tried it

 

[siliso]

Yes, that like the picture above. It’s what you wear if you can’t wear an N95 in an airborne isolation room, like for active TB.

 

[lalalallala]

I don't think this will be a big deal. I wouldn't bring it up until you get to a school and then discuss with them what accommodations can be made

 

[Tenk]

I used to work in a gross lab with a PAPR for the “harvest.” You can do anything you’d need to do in them for anatomy and they have a decent battery life.

 

[moggat]

There are a few schools out there that do primarily pro-section or plasticized models so the actual time required in the lab could be minimized (and there's less formalin overall) but I think this may be one of those "you wont know until you ask" kinds of things. If schools can make reasonable accommodations for students with other physical disabilities, I don't see why this would be any different. Also if you're able to stand around and wear an N95 without doing much physical exertion, that may be even easier to accommodate. Most schools do dissection in teams, and there's no reason you need to be the one wielding the scissors. If you can wear an N95 while standing around for a few hours, you should be fine.

 

[subdermallight]

There are a few schools out there that do primarily pro-section or plasticized models so the actual time required in the lab could be minimized (and there's less formalin overall) but I think this may be one of those "you wont know until you ask" kinds of things. If schools can make reasonable accommodations for students with other physical disabilities, I don't see why this would be any different. Also if you're able to stand around and wear an N95 without doing much physical exertion, that may be even easier to accommodate. Most schools do dissection in teams, and there's no reason you need to be the one wielding the scissors. If you can wear an N95 while standing around for a few hours, you should be fine.

I agree except an N95 wouldn’t be the appropriate PPE. From the CDC website:

An N95 is designed to remove particles from the air you breathe, such as metal fumes (for example, fumes cause by welding), mineral or dust particles, or even biological particles like viruses; however, it will do nothing to remove glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, or other gases or vapors.

OP needs something like this: 3M Organic Vapor Respirator Kit

You can get them pretty cheaply at Home Depot or Amazon. They are probably just as hard to breath in as an N95 (I’ve worn both before). I know my university does “fit testing” for masks if you ask the EHS department to make sure you are able to breathe well enough while wearing them.

 

[AllBleedingStops]

Respirator masks are not a viable option seeing as how they limit the amount of air and oxygen so being in the lab for hours on end is an issue.

How is that possible? And how would you plan on working around this as a physician if you have to use a mask?

 

[sunshinefl]

I agree except an N95 wouldn’t be the appropriate PPE. From the CDC website:



OP needs something like this: 3M Organic Vapor Respirator Kit

You can get them pretty cheaply at Home Depot or Amazon. They are probably just as hard to breath in as an N95 (I’ve worn both before). I know my university does “fit testing” for masks if you ask the EHS department to make sure you are able to breathe well enough while wearing them.

The mask linked was used by ~5 students and ~2 instructors in my anatomy dissection class due to respiratory issues with the fumes.

I have intermittent allergic asthma and had no problems with lab without a mask. Just an FYI it might not be a trigger for everybody with asthma. (Edit—this for others reading who may be concerned, not for you OP since you already have reacted).