Use of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 era

Abstract

This article aims, mainly, to update health professionals about the individual protection equipment (PPE), the types of equipment, the way of use, in addition to its effectiveness and efficiency. Thus, we also seek to elucidate the consequences of using PPE and the scarcity of PPE and its consequences. We conducted a review study, starting in 2020, using the databases SciELO, PubMed and Medline. In total 38 articles were analyzed, and 21 articles were selected for the work. The criteria used for adding articles were: (1) Objectivity and specificity of the topic addressed; (2) Time since publication, searching for the most recent - these being from March 2020. The criteria for exclusion of articles were: (1) Little relevance of the bibliographic reference; (2) Poor reliability of the data presented in the references; (3) Studies that were later contradictory. The types of study selected were systematic review, narrative review, prospective study, manuals for the population and health professionals and guidelines.