Best way to sterilize PAPR?

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Angry Birds

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So, we got PAPRs thankfully...
But, I am worried about contaminating myself when I doff and sterilize. Right now, we are just using purple wipes to sterilize. That's fine for the belt part of the device and the tube, but I think it sucks for the hood itself. Any better solution?

As an aside, anyone using a P100 during the shift? How do you sterilize it between patients? Just use a purple wipe on it? How about the filters themselves? what do we do about them?

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Also, another question... I am at a hospital that just started getting COVID patients... Anyone worried about looking like an uber dork wearing a P100 while everyone else is in surgical masks?
 
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So, we got PAPRs thankfully...
But, I am worried about contaminating myself when I doff and sterilize. Right now, we are just using purple wipes to sterilize. That's fine for the belt part of the device and the tube, but I think it sucks for the hood itself. Any better solution?

As an aside, anyone using a P100 during the shift? How do you sterilize it between patients? Just use a purple wipe on it? How about the filters themselves? what do we do about them?
Why do you think it's a problem for the hood? Just wipe down the neck guard and both the entire inside and outside of the helmet. Takes 5-10 minutes to do it thoroughly but I have literally no qualms about throwing my head right back into that thing after I've cleaned it. Not sure what you think is difficult to clean?

As to the p100 question, I have a full face respirator with 2 p100 filters on it. I haven't worn it yet and only plan to if all of our PAPRs are in use and I need to intubate/code someone. I plan to clean it via the same method as the PAPR. The filters I am also just wiping down the plastic casing. I'm not touching the filter material itself as it's recessed within the cartridges and shouldn't be touched.
 
Also, another question... I am at a hospital that just started getting COVID patients... Anyone worried about looking like an uber dork wearing a P100 while everyone else is in surgical masks?

No, P100 full face respirator or PAPR is the way to go.

Purple wipes should be fine.

Do not touch the filters, you can break a seal or contaminate yourself from a dirty filter...
 
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If you can find them, the 7093 filters lend themselves well to disinfection:
61VVT80fS%2BL._AC_SY355_.jpg


It's the only 3M filter that doesn't have any filter material exposed. Peel the stickers off and it's just non-porous plastic. The User's Guide specifically mentions protection against biological particles too FWIW:

Biological Particles This filter, when used with 3M™ Facepieces 5000, 6000, 7000 and FF-400 Series can help reduce inhalation exposures to certain airborne biological particles (e.g. mold, Bacillus anthracis, Avian Influenza Viruses, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, etc.) but cannot eliminate the risk of contracting infection, illness or disease. OSHA and other government agencies have not established safe exposure limits for these contaminants.
 
If you can find them, the 7093 filters lend themselves well to disinfection:

It's the only 3M filter that doesn't have any filter material exposed. Peel the stickers off and it's just non-porous plastic. The User's Guide specifically mentions protection against biological particles too FWIW:


Those are nice filters as the filters open in the back and not the front.

In theory anything that is at least a P-100 should give the same protection for healthcare. Filters are almost impossible to find now...
 
We have the fabric (Tyvek or something similar) PAPR hoods. I agree they seem impossible to disinfect with any wipe (we have purple, orange, and grey). Thus the docs have ordered their own PAPR helmets, which are much easier to clean and disinfect. Besides, it's mine. We will work on the hospital paying for them. We also have N-95s, but no way am I tubing someone with only an N-95 on, even with our intubation box.

Sadly, I think the helmets are sold out. We ordered ours weeks ago in anticipation.
 
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We have the fabric (Tyvek or something similar) PAPR hoods. I agree they seem impossible to disinfect with any wipe (we have purple, orange, and grey). Thus the docs have ordered their own PAPR helmets, which are much easier to clean and disinfect. Besides, it's mine. We will work on the hospital paying for them. We also have N-95s, but no way am I tubing someone with only an N-95 on, even with our intubation box.

Sadly, I think the helmets are sold out. We ordered ours weeks ago in anticipation.
But the helmets dont protect your neck like the hoods do. So how do you shield your neck?
 
I have my own full-face P100 fitted and ready to go. Seal is 100%. I crammed my hands over the filter cartridges and was suffocating myself very effectively. Seems like I passed my own fit test. Now I am wondering when I should start wearing it. COVID craziness hasn't really hit here yet, but we have had a few confirmed cases, and my facility still has N-95's. Should I keep on with those and a face shield for now, or should I go full Darth Vader at all times? Only for certain patients or procedures? What would y'all do?
 
I have my own full-face P100 fitted and ready to go. Seal is 100%. I crammed my hands over the filter cartridges and was suffocating myself very effectively. Seems like I passed my own fit test. Now I am wondering when I should start wearing it. COVID craziness hasn't really hit here yet, but we have had a few confirmed cases, and my facility still has N-95's. Should I keep on with those and a face shield for now, or should I go full Darth Vader at all times? Only for certain patients or procedures? What would y'all do?

This is exactly my question
 
How much does the neck really matter? I don't have mucus membrane / respiratory point of entry there.

Your neck is a big fomite though right? You then might touch your neck with your hands. I dunno man. Maybe I'm going overboard
 
Also, another question... I am at a hospital that just started getting COVID patients... Anyone worried about looking like an uber dork wearing a P100 while everyone else is in surgical masks?

I did for about 2 seconds, then I read about a resident dying in New York and another resident dying in Michigan (left behind a wife in three children). On top of 50+ doctors dying in Italy.

Now I don't care.

Wear it.

Go home safe.
 
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All of our staff are wearing masks or N95s 100% of the time now. About 80% droplet masks. I've had my P100 on for a while.
 
If you can find them, the 7093 filters lend themselves well to disinfection:
61VVT80fS%2BL._AC_SY355_.jpg


It's the only 3M filter that doesn't have any filter material exposed. Peel the stickers off and it's just non-porous plastic. The User's Guide specifically mentions protection against biological particles too FWIW:

Anybody know where to find these, literally first 10 pages of google searches all sold out/backordered/only dealing with government/hospital buyers.
 
Buy a PAPR. Better filtration, reusable. Still available.
 
Anybody know where to find these, literally first 10 pages of google searches all sold out/backordered/only dealing with government/hospital buyers.

Where else do modern profiteers unload their wares, eBay of course
 
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