Assessment of relative risk of discomfort and its subjective perception associated with personal protective equipment: adaptation differences among staff in infectious disease and multidisciplinary hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic

The object of the study was represented by healthcare workers from infectious disease and multidisciplinary hospitals repurposed to treat COVID-19 patients.

The aim of the study was to assess subjective perception of discomfort associated with prolonged use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and to identify differences in adaptation to such working conditions between healthcare staff in infectious disease and multidisciplinary hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A survey was conducted among healthcare workers, including questions on daily duration of PPE use (medical masks/respirators, protective goggles, coveralls) and the presence of symptoms indicating adverse effects of prolonged PPE using.

Changes in working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in the proportion of healthcare workers regularly using PPE as well as a substantial rise in duration of its use. Prolonged PPE use during the pandemic resulted in an increased frequency of complaints related to PPE in both hospital types. Higher prevalence of complaints associated with PPE use was observed in the multidisciplinary hospital, both during routine and repurposing periods, as well as a greater change in the frequency of systemic physiological disorders while wearing respiratory PPE (difficulty breathing, sensation of shortness of breath, dizziness) during the pandemic in the multidisciplinary hospital compared to the infectious disease hospital. The identified inter-hospital differences likely reflect greater adaptability among staff in infectious disease hospitals to prolonged PPE use attributed to stringent infection control protocols and the availability of well-tested algorithms for working in routine daily practice.

These disparities in preparedness and adaptation of healthcare workers to PPE use in repurposed hospitals highlight the need for expanded implementation of occupational health risk management measures, emphasize the importance of optimizing PPE design, improving selection and usage protocols, introducing training programs on rational PPE use, and conducting regular health screenings for PPE-related adverse effects among healthcare workers.