Adherence to and usage of the N95 disposable respirator mask as a TB control measure in healthcare facilities in the Tshwane district

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the adherence to and usage of the N95 respirator mask as a TB control measure in healthcare facilities in the Tshwane district during managing a patient suspected or confirmed with pulmonary TB infection. A cross-sectional, descriptive survey design was used to collect the data. A sample of 204 healthcare professionals and healthcare workers working in five healthcare facilities in the Tshwane health district met the inclusion criteria for this study. More than 83.33 %( n=170) of the staff were nurses; physiotherapists in the healthcare facility constituted the lowest percentage (1.96%; n=4). Chi-square test was done to test whether there was a significant difference between knowledge on the fit test of the N95 respirator mask and the healthcare professionals and healthcare workers. There was no significant difference in knowledge across the five staff categories P-value of >0.05. Ensuring successful protection of the healthcare workers from contracting M-TB in the TB healthcare facilities depends on effective implementation of a respiratory protection programme and the correct usage of the N95 respirator mask.