INTRODUCTION: The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in prehospital emergency care has significantly increased since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several studies investigating the potential effects of PPE use by Emergency Medical Service providers on the quality of chest compressions during resuscitation have been inconclusive. STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine whether the use of PPE affects the quality of chest compressions or influences select physiological biomarkers that are associated with stress. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized, quasi-experimental crossover study with 35 Emergency Medical Service providers who performed 20 minutes of chest compressions on a manikin. Two iterations were completed in a randomized order: (1) without PPE and (2) with PPE consisting of Tyvek, goggles, KN95 mask, and nitrile gloves. The rate and depth of chest compressions were measured. Salivary cortisol, lactate, end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2), and body temperature were measured before and after each set of chest compressions. RESULTS: There were no differences in the quality of chest compressions (rate and depth) between the two groups (P >.05). After performing chest compressions, the group with PPE did not have elevated levels of cortisol, lactate, or EtCO2 when compared to the group without PPE, but did have a higher body temperature (P <.001). CONCLUSION: The use of PPE during resuscitation did not lower the quality of chest compressions, nor did it lead to higher stress-associated biomarker levels, with the exception of body temperature.

Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine 3rd Faculty of Medicine Charles University and FNKV University Hospital Prague Czech Republic

Department of Biomedicine and Laboratory Diagnostics Faculty of Health Studies Jan Evangelista Purkyne University and Masaryk Hospital Usti nad LabemCzech Republic

Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Charles University Prague Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

Department of Emergency Medical Care Faculty of Health Care University of Presov Presov Slovak Republic

Emergency Medical Services of the Karlovy Vary Region Karlovy Vary Czech Republic

Emergency Medical Services of the Usti Region Usti nad Labem Czech Republic

Faculty of Biomedical Engineering The Czech Technical University Prague Czech Republic

Faculty of Health Studies Jan Evangelista Purkyne University Usti nad Labem Czech Republic

Medical College Prague Czech Republic

Prague Emergency Medical Services Prague Czech Republic

Citace poskytuje Crossref.org