Vibrio fluvialis and Leech Therapy

difficult to wear for extended periods and often must leave the room to remove the device and “catch their breath” before returning into respiratory isolation, a finding suggested by others.2 After discovering the cost savings, we opted to continue to use the HEPA respirator at our hospital, despite the revised OSHA guidelines that allowed use of cheaper respirators. However, in recent months, healthcare worker preference for the cheaper (and decidedly more comfortable) N-95 units has resulted in a gradual shift to these devices. We continue to monitor the cost of the PPE program, but feel strongly that safety—not cost—must be the single determinant when selecting proper equipment for worker protection against tuberculosis or any potential occupationally acquired pathogen. In that regard, the best respirator is the respirator that people will wear.