Face Mask Removal Efficiency in a Newly Designed Quick Release Face Mask Attachment System

Swartz, EE, Decoster LC, Raskow J, Hernandez A: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH

Context: Newly designed quick release face mask loop straps may impact the effectiveness by which emergency responders are able to access the airway of a football player via face mask removal. Objective: Evaluate the efficiency of quick release loops straps during face mask removal. Design: Repeated measures, cross sectional design. Setting: Controlled laboratory setting. Participants: Nineteen subjects (12 male, 7 female, age = 30.20 ± 10.0 years) taken from a sample of convenience among the local population of certified athletic trainers (10, 12.4 ± 3.38 years certified) and general population. Subjects were free from significant upper extremity or central nervous system injury. Interventions: Subjects reported to the laboratory and signed an informed consent. Instructions to the subject asked them to first remove the two quick release straps on the side followed by the traditional style straps at the top with either a cordless screwdriver (SD) or anvil pruners (AP). Subjects were given time to practice. A stopwatch was used to record the time to remove the quick release straps and the time to fully remove the face mask. Three trials for each tool condition were performed. Order of conditions was randomized. Following trials, subjects rated the difficulty of the task (modified CR10 RPE scale). Face masks removed in less than 3 minutes were labeled successful. Main Outcome Measures: Independent variables included tool (SD, AP) and athletic training certification (NATABOC certified or not). Dependant variables included: removal success, split time (time to remove the quick release loop straps only), total removal time, minimal removal time, and rating of difficulty. Descriptive statistics were used to calculated means, ranges, and measures of variance. A series of One-way ANOVA’s and Paired Samples T-tests tested for group differences. Confidence level was set at α = .05. Results: One face mask out of 114 trials failed to be completely removed (success rate = 99%). Average total time of face mask removal regardless of tool was 42.41 ±11.87s. Average minimum total time did not differ between the SD 31.43 ±5.52s and AP 36.97 ±17.98s (P > .05). Average split time was 7.66 ±1.67s. Regardless of tool, the average RPE was 2.68 ±0.93. Average RPE for the SD was 2.36 ±1.22 and 2.83 ±1.20 for the AP (P > .05). No differences in time variables existed between subjects with (45.60 ± 12.28s) or without (38.91 ± 11.00s) NATABOC certification (P>.05).Conclusions: Face mask removal utilizing the quick release system was nearly perfect, while times and RPE were similar or superior to previous research incorporating other removal techniques. The times for removal revealed no differences between tools or between subjects with NATABOC certification and those with no prior training. These results suggest the quick release face-mask system is efficient.