Skin Grafts vs. Dermal Substitutes in Pediatric Burns

摘要

The objective of the study was to assess the perceived occupational risk among healthcare workers regarding exposure to microplastics resulting from the use of respiratory protective equipment, for which a structured questionnaire based on the psychometric paradigm of risk perception (EDRP-T) was administered to a sample of 83 workers with direct contact and daily use of this equipment at a healthcare facility in Tungurahua, Ecuador, using a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and descriptive design. The results show that the staff mostly young women and predominantly users of surgical masks exhibit low levels of knowledge, both personally and as attributed to institutional authorities, while fear and catastrophic potential reach high levels, and perceived control over exposure and harm remains limited; furthermore, the overall risk index falls within the moderate category, although the global assessment using an analog scale is skewed toward higher values, and an association is also observed between the use of N95 respirators or cloth masks and a higher proportion of perceived high risk compared to surgical masks; based on these results, it can be concluded that healthcare workers face an emerging occupational risk that, although perceived primarily as moderate, is accompanied by gaps in institutional knowledge and a limited sense of control; therefore, it is necessary to move toward specific training and monitoring protocols that recognize microplastics as an occupational hazard.