Booklet on the use of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic: preventing facial skin injuries

Abstract

Introduction: In the year 2020, Brazilian and global public health systems were overwhelemend by COVID-19, a pandemic highly transmissible by droplets and contact, mainly in enclosed areas and hospital environments. Objective: Create a booklet to instruct health professionals on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and preventive measures for facial skin injuries during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: The study was conducted from June to September 2020, adopting the following steps: situational diagnosis; literature review of the main health science databases; content selection and survey; drafting texts; creating illustrations; and diagramming the manual. Results: After the literature review, 26 articles were selected for the booklet. The material was prepared by the authors of this article and reviewed by a professional in the biomedical field, with expertise in standardizing procedures and tissue injury innovations. The final version contains four chapters and three algorithms, one with step-by-step instructions on donning PPE, one on removal and one containing preventive measures for PPE-related injuries. Conclusion: After an interactive review of the literature, a booklet was created that provides theoretical and practical foundations for health professionals on PPE donning and removal techniques, with a view to preventing facial injuries and COVID-19 infection.