{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T16:22:43Z","timestamp":1784910163460,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,6]],"date-time":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1678060800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano in collaboration with NOI Techpark, S\u00fcdtiroler Wirtschaftsring and Rete Economia Alto Adige"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks has been recommended or enforced in several situations; however, their effects on physiological parameters and cognitive performance at high altitude are unknown.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Eight healthy participants (four females) rested and exercised (cycling, 1\u00a0W\/kg) while wearing no mask, a surgical mask or a filtering facepiece class 2 respirator (FFP2), both in normoxia and hypobaric hypoxia corresponding to an altitude of 3000\u00a0m. Arterialised oxygen saturation (SaO2), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO2), heart and respiratory rate, pulse oximetry (SpO2), cerebral oxygenation, visual analogue scales for dyspnoea and mask\u2019s discomfort were systematically investigated. Resting cognitive performance and exercising tympanic temperature were also assessed.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Mask use had a significant effect on PaCO2 (overall +1.2\u2009\u00b1\u20091.7\u00a0mmHg). There was no effect of mask use on all other investigated parameters except for dyspnoea and discomfort, which were highest with FFP2. Both masks were associated with a similar non-significant decrease in SaO2 during exercise in normoxia (\u22120.5\u2009\u00b1\u20090.4%) and, especially, in hypobaric hypoxia (\u22121.8\u2009\u00b1\u20091.5%), with similar trends for PaO2 and SpO2.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Although mask use was associated with higher rates of dyspnoea, it had no clinically relevant impact on gas exchange at 3000\u00a0m at rest and during moderate exercise, and no detectable effect on resting cognitive performance. Wearing a surgical mask or an FFP2 can be considered safe for healthy people living, working or spending their leisure time in mountains, high-altitude cities or other hypobaric environments (e.g. aircrafts) up to an altitude of 3000\u00a0m.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/jtm\/taad031","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,7]],"date-time":"2023-03-07T19:07:19Z","timestamp":1678216039000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Surgical masks and filtering facepiece class 2 respirators (FFP2) have no major physiological effects at rest and during moderate exercise at 3000-m altitude: a randomised controlled trial"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4743-532X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Vinetti","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandro","family":"Micarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marika","family":"Falla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"},{"name":"University of Trento Center for Mind\/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), , Rovereto (TN), Italy"},{"name":"General Hospital of Bolzano Department of Neurology, , Bolzano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Randi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"},{"name":"University of Trento Center for Mind\/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), , Rovereto (TN), Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tomas","family":"Dal Cappello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hannes","family":"Gatterer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"},{"name":"Alpine Medicine and Health Tourism (ISAG), UMIT TIROL-Private University for Health Sciences and Health Technology Institute for Sports Medicine, , Hall in Tirol, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hermann","family":"Brugger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giacomo","family":"Strapazzon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simon","family":"Rauch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eurac Research Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, , Bolzano, Italy"},{"name":"Hospital of Merano (SABES-ASDAA) Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, , Merano (BZ), Italy;\u00a0Lehrkrankenhaus der Paracelsus Medizinischen Privatuniversit\u00e4t"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"2023090611092840000_ref1","volume-title":"COVID-19 infection prevention and control living guideline: mask use in community settings, 22 December 2021","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2021"},{"key":"2023090611092840000_ref2","volume-title":"WHO recommendations on mask use by health workers, in light of the Omicron variant of concern: WHO interim guidelines, 22 December 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