Use of recommended personal protective equipment among Brazilian health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest health crises in the world and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is significant measures to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. However, PPE needs to be used properly by healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the use of PPE among Brazilian health professionals and associated factors during a period of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2020. For data collection, the respondent-driven sampling technique was used, adapted for social media, with a link to an online survey form. RESULTS: The study considered 12,086 Brazilian health professionals. Most (69%) used PPE recommended for the care of patients with suspected or diagnosed COVID-19. Factors associated with the use of PPE were: working in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or in a field hospital, receiving training, being provided with sufficient, high-quality PPE by the workplace and being an odontologist compared to nursing professionals. For procedures that generate aerosols in the context of COVID-19, 54.1% of them used the recommended PPE, the associated factors were: being married or in a stable relationship compared to a single/divorced professional, working in an ICU, being offered training, providing sufficient, high-quality PPE, and being an odontologist compared to nursing professionals. CONCLUSIONS: For the care of patients with COVID-19, 69% of health professionals used PPE properly, and several factors interfered with the use of this equipment.