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Effect of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators on Speech Recognition Among Health Care Workers

dc.contributor.authorKempfle, Judith S.
dc.contributor.authorPanda, Ashwin
dc.contributor.authorHottin, Mary
dc.contributor.authorVinik, Kevin
dc.contributor.authorKozin, Elliott D.
dc.contributor.authorIto, Christopher J.
dc.contributor.authorRemenschneider, Aaron K
dc.date2022-08-11T08:08:11.000
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-23T15:45:53Z
dc.date.available2022-08-23T15:45:53Z
dc.date.issued2020-07-21
dc.date.submitted2020-08-03
dc.identifier.citation<p>Kempfle JS, Panda A, Hottin M, Vinik K, Kozin ED, Ito CJ, Remenschneider AK. Effect of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators on Speech Recognition Among Health Care Workers. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020 Jul 21:194599820945685. doi: 10.1177/0194599820945685. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32689877. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599820945685">Link to article on publisher's site</a></p>
dc.identifier.issn0194-5998 (Linking)
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/0194599820945685
dc.identifier.pmid32689877
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/27631
dc.description.abstractPowered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) are used as personalized protective equipment for health care personnel. PAPRs offer health care workers added protection when dealing with patients who have high-risk infectious disease such as COVID-19. Unfortunately, PAPRs can produce notable levels of background noise. We hypothesize that PAPR use may be associated with increased hearing thresholds and impaired word discrimination and may ultimately have a negative impact on effective communication. Herein, we (1) determined sound levels generated by PAPRs and (2) measured hearing thresholds and word discrimination with and without operational PAPRs. All participants had normal hearing. When the PAPR was operational, mean +/- SD thresholds increased from 4.5 +/- 3.6 to 38.6 +/- 5.6 dB HL (P < .001). Word discrimination dropped from 100% in all participants in quiet to a mean 48% +/- 14% with operational PAPR (P < .001). Thus, we find that use of PAPR hoods results in hearing impairment comparable to moderate to severe hearing loss, and we suspect that users will experience communication difficulties as a result. Level of Evidence. Prospective study.
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.relation<p><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=32689877&dopt=Abstract">Link to Article in PubMed</a></p>
dc.relation.urlhttps://doi.org/10.1177/0194599820945685
dc.subjectCOVID-19
dc.subjectPAPR
dc.subjectPPE
dc.subjectnoise level
dc.subjecthearing
dc.subjectspeech recognition
dc.subjectEquipment and Supplies
dc.subjectHealth Communication
dc.subjectHealth Services Administration
dc.subjectInfectious Disease
dc.subjectOtolaryngology
dc.subjectVirus Diseases
dc.titleEffect of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators on Speech Recognition Among Health Care Workers
dc.typeJournal Article
dc.source.journaltitleOtolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
dc.identifier.legacycoverpagehttps://escholarship.umassmed.edu/covid19/81
dc.identifier.contextkey18774271
html.description.abstract<p>Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) are used as personalized protective equipment for health care personnel. PAPRs offer health care workers added protection when dealing with patients who have high-risk infectious disease such as COVID-19. Unfortunately, PAPRs can produce notable levels of background noise. We hypothesize that PAPR use may be associated with increased hearing thresholds and impaired word discrimination and may ultimately have a negative impact on effective communication. Herein, we (1) determined sound levels generated by PAPRs and (2) measured hearing thresholds and word discrimination with and without operational PAPRs. All participants had normal hearing. When the PAPR was operational, mean +/- SD thresholds increased from 4.5 +/- 3.6 to 38.6 +/- 5.6 dB HL (P < .001). Word discrimination dropped from 100% in all participants in quiet to a mean 48% +/- 14% with operational PAPR (P < .001). Thus, we find that use of PAPR hoods results in hearing impairment comparable to moderate to severe hearing loss, and we suspect that users will experience communication difficulties as a result. Level of Evidence. Prospective study.</p>
dc.identifier.submissionpathcovid19/81
dc.contributor.departmentDepartment of Otolaryngology
dc.source.pages194599820945685


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