Table 3.
Reported personal protective equipment (PPE) shift duration and significant adverse effects associated with wearing PPE in the present study compared to the PPE‐SAFE survey
| Variable | Overall | PPE‐SAFE |
|---|---|---|
| N | 460 | 2,476 |
| PPE shift duration, h;† median (IQR)* | 1 (1, 3) | 4 (2, 6) |
| Adverse effects, n (%)* | 430 (93.5) | 1,986 (80.2) |
| Heat, n (%)* | 346 (75.2) | 1,266 (51.1) |
| Pressure areas, n (%)* | 258 (56.1) | 1,088 (43.9) |
| Exhaustion, n (%)* | 198 (43.0) | 492 (19.9) |
| Thirst, n (%)* | 148 (32.2) | 1174 (47.4) |
| Inability to use the bathroom, n (%) | 127 (27.6) | 661 (26.7) |
| Headaches, n (%)* | 56 (12.2) | 696 (28.1) |
†Time the health‐care worker remained dressed in PPE before being able to take a break.
IQR, interquartile range.
*
P < 0.05.