Consistent FFP2-masking as part of reducing viral respiratory infections on medical wards for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

TL;DR

Wearing FFP2 masks in hospitals reduced respiratory infections in patients receiving stem cell transplants without affecting survival rates.

Contribution

Demonstrates that consistent FFP2 masking significantly reduces viral respiratory infections in allo-HSCT patients.

Findings

FFP2 masks reduced viral respiratory infections from 20.7% to 2.0%.

Hospital stay duration decreased by 2.5 days with FFP2 masking.

Use of diagnostic procedures like CT scans and bronchoalveolar lavage decreased.

Abstract

Patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are highly susceptible to infections. The consequent use of masks on wards for allo-HSCT has been controversial in the past decades and was not common before the COVID-19 pandemic. We retrospectively compared incidence and outcomes of viral respiratory infections during allo-HSCT on our specialized ward between 01/2018 and 09/2020 to the era of FFP2 masking between 10/2020 and 10/2022 covering similar seasons of the year. Each group consisted of 150 matched patients. The usage of FFP2 masks reduced the incidence of viral respiratory infections from 20,7% to 2,0% (p < 0.001). This reduced the time on ward from a median of 26 days to 23.5 days (p = 0.002). It also resulted in less use of CT-scans (p = 0.003) and bronchoalveolar lavage procedures (p = 0.057). Median time to proof of infection was 21 days after admission in both groups. No difference was detected in progression free survival, hospital survival or non-relapse mortality (p = 0.78). Our retrospective results indicate that FFP2 masks worn by patients and hospital staff may help to significantly reduce the incidence of viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19, shorten the in-hospital time, and reduce costs without affecting survival.

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