Adsorption Capacity of Plastic Foils Suitable for Barrier Resuscitation

Chest compressions and ventilation attempts can generate aerosols during resuscitation. It is important to determine whether different materials suitable for the blanketing of cardiac arrest patients can diminish exposure to aerosols. In this study, three volatile organic compounds, ethanol, acetone, and isoprene, commonly found in human breath in moistened air, acted as substitutes for aerosols. Here, we present information on the adsorption of these volatiles to three blanketing materials: polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and aluminum coated polyethylene terephthalate. After exposure to the surfaces of these materials the test volatiles were quantified by the proton transfer reaction-time of flight-mass spectrometry. There was a trend towards a potentially higher reduction for acetone (p = 0.071) and isoprene (p = 0.050) on polyethylene, compared to polyvinyl chloride and aluminum coated polyethylene terephthalate during the rise interval. Adsorption capacity did not differ between the foils and was between 67% and 70%. From our studies, we propose that the aluminum-coated polyethylene terephthalate surface of space blankets prove adequate to diminish exposure to volatiles in moistened air, and hence to aerosols.