Publications
Fogging of protective eyewear in intensive care unit and a comparative study of techniques to reduce it
Ravisankar, Natesh Prabu; D'Silva, Carol Shayne; Varma, Manu Manjula Krishnappa Gowda; Sudarsan, Thomas Isiah; Sampath, Sriram; Thomas, Tinku; Krishna, Bhuvana; Abstract
Background: Fogging of protective eyewear (PEW) can hinder routine work in the intensive care unit (ICU). The prevalence of fogging impairing vision (FIV) and the technique that reduces fogging have not been evaluated previously.
Methods: After donning personal protective equipment (PPE) with an N95 mask, the healthcare workers (HCWs) sequentially tried plain PEW, soap-coated PEW, PEW worn at a distance over the PPE hood, and the use of tape over a mask. The vision (distant and near) was checked before wearing PEW and with each technique. The prevalence of fogging and FIV, that is, change in vision in either eye was estimated and compared among various techniques. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to analyze factors affecting fogging and to compare techniques. Room temperature, room humidity, and lens temperature were measured during the study.