Statistics data shows that among medical workers the morbidity of diseases that can be transmitted by airborne droplets is significantly higher than among the population [1]. An urgent task is an improving the protection of medical workers from infection, including the inhalation of bioaerosols.
Various methods can be used to protect against harmful production factors: an elimination or weakening at the source itself; using the collective protection means; organizational and medical-preventive measures; as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) — are listed in order of decreasing effectiveness [2].
A protection of doctors in contact with infected patients without using a respiratory protective equipment is difficult. However, with any degree of reduction of the content of harmful substances in the inhaled air, provided by a respirator, ignoring its use in a polluted atmosphere sharply increases the exposure dose. For example, with a constant concentration of contaminants, using a respiratory protective equipment (RPE) for only 5 % of the time will reduce their exposure by more than 20 times, regardless of the type of the RPE [3]. Hours-long daily use of respirators in health-care institutions during influenza epidemics has shown that it is very difficult to ensure continuous and timely use of the RPE. Identification of the causes preventing the use of the RPE can help find ways to facilitate its use by workers, reduce the morbidity of diseases among doctors and improve the quality of medical care for the population.
The goal is to assess the effect of increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the inhaled air during prolonged using the RPE by medical workers to develop possible ways to improve the protection of doctors from the inhalation intake of bioaerosols.
We have used available information of the use of the RPE in industry and health-care institutions, as well as its research, published by Oxford University Press, Taylor & Francis and other available publications.