Conceptos para la selección y uso de mascarillas y respiradores, como medidas de protección durante los brotes de influenza

Infectious agents transmission through the respiratory route has been documented in several epidemics, such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), avian influenza, and the recent pandemic of influenza A/H1N1. Respiratory protection is essential for the safety of health care workers during these contingencies. In this document, we present a review of the basic concepts of respiratory protection, bioaerosols and their characteristics, microorganism filtration, types of respirators used for influenza epidemics and, finally, general recommendations about their use. The implementation of barrier methods, such as the use of respirators, must be included in a complete biosafety program, in which procedures for the use of respirators must be described.