• Pedro N Oblea, Elizabeth D Nguyen-Wu, Leilani A Siaki, Sunghun Cho, Kenneth J Romito, and Wenyaw Chan.
• Department of Clinical Inpatient Services, Center for Nursing Science & Clinical Inquiry, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96859, USA.
• Mil Med. 2024 Nov 5; 189 (11-12): e2523e2529e2523-e2529.

IntroductionDuring the novel coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, health care workers experienced facial problems from prolonged use of N95 masks, including skin irritation, pigmentation changes, and contact dermatitis. We assessed the use of hydrocolloid dressing versus dimethicone cream to prevent skin breakdown among military health care workers while wearing an N95.Materials And MethodsParticipants were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling in this nonblinded, randomized, cross-over study with 2 active treatments, hydrocolloid dressing and dimethicone cream, across 3 time points. The skin was assessed using photographs and subepidermal moisture scanner (SEM). N95 seal integrity was assessed using qualitative fit test. Institutional review board approval was obtained from the Madigan Army Medical Center Institutional Review Board.ResultsAmong the 73 participants, wearing an N95 alone versus with dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions. There were no significant differences in qualitative fit test failure rate between groups. Participants experienced minimal to no dizziness, loss of energy/tiredness/fatigue, claustrophobia, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and dry or itchy eyes. For all interventions, wearing an N95 did not interfere with participants' concentration, verbal communication, hearing, vision, and, importantly, delivery of care.ConclusionsUsing a skin protectant with an N95 may prevent adverse skin reactions while preserving health care workers' ability to safely and competently care for patients in routine and pandemic conditions.Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

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