Title : A review update on headaches in healthcare workers following the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) In COVID Era
Abstract:
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. Wearing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as protective respirators, face masks and/or eyewear for a prolonged time by healthcare workers during this pandemic lead to symptoms including headaches based on different studies.
PPE-associated headache is an unusual secondary headache disorder that is predominant in healthcare personnel as a consequence of PPE usage. The effects of PPE usage is significant for the occupational health of healthcare workers and also its impact on people living with pre-existing headache disorder(s).
There has been renewed attention to PPE-associated headaches amongst healthcare professionals, largely brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. De novo PPE-associated headaches may also present with migrainous or tension-type features and can be viewed as a subtype of external compression headache. Several etiologies have been proposed for the development of these headaches. Notably, these headaches can affect the occupational health and work performance of healthcare workers.
During this presentation, we will discuss the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, associated symptoms, and probable etiopathogenesis of PPE-associated headaches in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Audience Takes Away Notes:
- Characteristics, associated symptoms, and probable etiopathogenesis of PPE-associated headaches and De Novo headaches among healthcare workers during the COVID pandemic
- The risk factors linked to PPE-headaches
- How these kinds of headaches influence the productivity of healthcare workers and how these headaches can be prevented or managed.
- The strengths and limitations of different studies on this important topic can be considered for future evaluations including practical recommendations.
