Contingency reprocessing of single-use PPE

The NHS has faced a shortage of personal protective equipment, prompting requests for advice on contingency reprocessing measures, to ensure availability of single-use PPE items during the COVID-19 healthcare  crisis. Other EU countries have responded to the crisis by introducing contingency measures. This white paper, by Belimed, offers an  insight into these approaches, while emphasising that reprocessing  of single-use equipment should only be undertaken as a last resort. 

Belimed does not recommend the reprocessing of medical equipment classified as a singleuse product by its manufacturer, except in measures of last resort and with approval from the respective healthcare authority, such as the described emergency regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the availability of critical supplies cannot be ensured otherwise. However, it is understood that in a crisis situation, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, a reprocessed single-use product – while being associated with a higher risk or uncertainty than a new product – may still have a higher clinical utility (e.g. to significantly reduce infection risk of healthcare workers) compared to a situation of not having this product at all. 

Certain PPE equipment (e.g. FFP2 / N95 masks) have become scarce due to the globally increased demand associated with the pandemic. At the same time, healthcare providers (as employers) are generally mandated by law to offer sufficient protection to their employees – including gloves, gowns, face shields, FFP2 / N95 respirator masks etc, when they are working directly with COVID-19 patients.