Table 4.
Meta-analysis for the adverse events among health care workers due to personal protective equipment use during the COVID-19 pandemic
| Adverse event | No. of studies | Pooled prevalence | 95% confidence interval | I2 | P value for the Hedges Q statistic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry skin | 8 | 54.4 | 25.4 – 81.8 | 99.60 | <.001 |
| Pressure injuries | 7 | 40.4 | 27.7 – 53.8 | 99.12 | <.001 |
| Headache | 6 | 55.9 | 35.8 – 75.0 | 99.32 | <.001 |
| Dermatitis | 6 | 31.0 | 11.1 – 55.5 | 99.09 | <.001 |
| Allergy | 5 | 16.4 | 13.2 – 19.8 | 47.76 | .105 |
| Rash | 5 | 21.4 | 15.1 – 28.5 | 90.04 | <.001 |
| Itching | 5 | 39.8 | 16.2 – 66.3 | 97.62 | <.001 |
| Pain | 4 | 35.5 | 0.3 – 88.1 | 99.73 | <.001 |
| Hyperhidrosis | 4 | 38.5 | 15.3 – 64.9 | 98.98 | <.001 |
| Dyspnoea | 3 | 53.4 | 27.2 – 78.6 | 98.81 | <.001 |