Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: April | Volume: 11 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 55-61
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20210407
Respiratory Consequences of N95 Mask during Covid-19 Pandemic- An Observational Study
Rajesh Prabhakar Gaikwad1, Akshaya Bhupesh Banodkar2, Vaibhavi Pandurang Nandgaonkar3, Lynette Custodio Fernandes4, Priyanka Ganpatrao Awasare5, Manjiree Suryakant Awad6, Shraddha Karkhanis7
1Professor and Head of Department, Department of Periodontology, Government Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai 400001.
2Associate Professor, 3,4,5Post Graduate student , 6,7Assistant Professor,
Department of Periodontology, Government Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai 400001.
Corresponding Author: Vaibhavi Pandurang Nandgaonkar
ABSTRACT
Background: Outbreak of novel corona virus has led World Health Organization (WHO) to come up with healthcare guidelines which includes wearing of N95 mask. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether blood oxygen saturation level is affected by wearing of N95 mask for the duration of 4 hours.
Materials and Methods: A total of 90 exam going students were included in this study, who were instructed to wear N95 mask. Blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2) was checked both before and after wearing of N95 mask for a period of 4 hours.
Results: It was observed that, before wearing N95 mask at 9 am, SpO2 values were 96.64±0.196 while at 1 pm after removing N95 mask, the saturation values were 95.68±0.235 (p=0.000) among all the students. There was a statistically highly significant difference seen for the values between the time intervals (p<0.01) with higher values at 9 am and lesser at 1pm. On comparing the SpO2 levels among males and females, a statistically nonsignificant difference was seen. Thus, reduction in blood oxygen saturation level can be a major parameter to evaluate the respiratory consequences of N95 mask.
Conclusion: Various adverse effects of N95 mask were quoted in literature but respiratory consequences due to reduction in blood oxygen saturation level can be harmful. Thus, to avoid such consequences, precautionary measures are advised to be taken.
Key words: N95 mask, SpO2, Blood oxygen saturation, COVID-19.