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. 2021 May 7;49(10):1305–1315. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.04.084

Table 5.

Factors related with a greater risk of adverse events among health care workers due to personal protective equipment use during the COVID-19 pandemic in the studies included in this systematic review

Reference Factors Level of analysis
Zhao et al. 202026
  • -

    Older age (P= .016)

  • -

    Nurses and physicians vs others (P< .05 in both cases)

  • -

    Increased exposure to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients (P< .001)

  • -

    Increased consecutive days with PPE (P= .001)

 Univariate
Coelho et al. 202027
  • -

    Younger age (OR:0.61; 95% CI:0.46-0.81, P= .001)

  • -

    No use of prevention inputs (OR:69.7; 95% CI:22.1-219.5, P< .001)

  • -

    Longer duration of shifts wearing PPE (>6 hours), (OR:1.84; 95% CI:1.35-2.50, P< .001)

 Multivariable
Çağlar et al. 202028
  • -

    Overweight/obese HCWs (BMI ≥25 kg/m2), (OR:1.79; 95% CI:1.06-3.03, P= .029)

  • -

    Smokers (OR:1.93; 95% CI:1.04-3.59, P= .037)

  • -

    Increased consecutive days with PPE (OR:1.41; 95% CI:1.22-1.64, P < .001)

  • -

    Longer duration of shifts wearing PPE (OR:1.38; 95% CI:1.11-1.73, P= .004)

 Multivariable
Tabah et al. 202029
  • -

    Longer duration of shifts wearing PPE (OR:1.24; 95% CI:1.18-1.30, P< .001)

 Univariate
Jiang et al. 202030
  • -

    Male gender (OR:1.54; 95% CI:1.11-2.13, P= .008)

  • -

    Heavy sweating (OR:119.48; 95% CI:87.52-163.11, P< .001)

  • -

    Longer duration of shifts wearing PPE (OR:2.27; 95% CI:1.61-3.21, P< .001)

  • -

    Higher grade of PPE (OR:1.47; 95% CI:1.08-2.01, P= .014)

 Multivariable
Hu et al. 202031
  • -

    Female gender (P< .05)

  • -

    Younger age (20-29 years), (P< .05)

 Univariate
Ong et al. 202032
  • -

    Pre-existing primary headache diagnosis (OR:4.20; 95% CI:1.48-15.40; P= .03)

  • -

    Longer duration of shifts wearing PPE (>4 hours), (OR:3.91, 95% CI:1.35-11.31, P= .012)

 Multivariable
Metin et al. 202033 Dermatitis
  • -

    Female gender (OR:3.20; 95% CI:2.12-4.82, P< .001)

  • -

    Increased exposure to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients (OR:1.66; 95% CI:1.09-2.51, P< .001)

  • -

    Increased washing (OR:1.64; 95% CI:1.11-2.43, P= .014)

Acne
  • -

    Female gender (OR:3.08; 95% CI:2.01-4.70, P< .001)

  • -

    Younger age (≤30 vs. >30 years, OR:2.78; 95% CI:1.93-4.02, P< .001)

Allergy
  • -

    Female gender (OR:2.17; 95% CI:1.27-3.72, P= .005)

  • -

    Increased exposure to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients (OR:1.70; 95% CI:1.04-2.77, P= .034)

  • -

    Diabetes mellitus (OR:4.52; 95% CI:1.65-12.36, P= .003)

Stomatitis
  • -

    Increased exposure to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients (OR:1.70; 95% CI:1.04-2.77, P= .034)

  • -

    Diabetes mellitus (OR:3.47; 95% CI:1.56-9.56, P= .016)

 Univariate
Yildiz et al. 202035
  • -

    Female gender (P= .002)

  • -

    Younger age (P= .001)

 Univariate
Lin et al. 202038
  • -

    Female gender (OR:1.87; 95% CI:1.04-3.39, P= .038)

  • -

    Working in hospitals with a more severe epidemic (OR:2.41; 95% CI:1.41-4.11, P= .038)

  • -

    Increased exposure to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients (OR:2.44; 95% CI:1.37-4.37, P = .003)

  • -

    Longer duration of shifts wearing PPE (>6 hours), (OR:4.26; 95% CI:1.99-9.12, P< .001)

 Multivariable
Zuo et el. 202039
  • -

    Higher grade of PPE (OR:2.63; 95% CI:1.30-5.40, P= .009)

  • -

    Longer duration of shifts wearing PPE (4-8 hours vs <4, OR:1.8; 95% CI:1.1-3.0, P= .02, >8 hours vs <4, OR:2.7; 95% CI:1.5-4.7, p<0.001)

 Multivariable

BMI: body mass index; CI: confidence interval; HCWs: health care workers; OR: odds ratio; PPE: personal protective equipment.