Objective:

To describe a strategy designed to avoid pressure-related skin lesions related to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Methods:

This was a prospective descriptive observational study. Study population: healthcare professionals at the Parc Salut Mar (Barcelona) who used PPE for protection against COVID-19 between March 30 and June 15, 2020. Intervention: Each professional was provided with an individual kit to prevent PPE-induced lesions, friction, or moisture. A multidisciplinary surveillance team was deployed for the early detection of these adverse events.

Results:

Individual kits were provided to 1044 professionals, 32 of whom were scheduled for in-person medical assessments. Six participants (0.57%) developed Stage III or IV pressure ulcers, 24 (2.3%) had dermatitis, folliculitis, eczema and two participants did not show for their appointments. The overall rate of pressure ulcers was 0.57%; for dermatitis it was 2.3%.

Conclusions:

The use of preventive measures appears to be effective in preventing facial pressure ulcers induced by EPIs among healthcare professionals. Our resultsalso underscore the importance of expanding preventive measures to include not only pressure ulcers but also dermatitis.

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