AAEM believes that emergency physicians are entitled to wear self-supplied PPE including respirators that meet NIOSH standards when, in their medical opinion, hospital or healthcare facility supplied PPE is inadequate.
AAEM will offer support to any emergency physician threatened or terminated for attempting to protect themselves and their patients in this manner. This includes assistance with filing an OSHA complaint and pursuit of litigation for wrongful termination.
AAEM believes that until sufficient evidence exists regarding the safety of such, it is improper to downgrade the level of PPE recommended due to supply chain issues.
AAEM supports other frontline healthcare workers in obtaining and using self-supplied PPE as well.
Click here to view the background evidence from the WHO, CDC, and OSHA.
Approved: 3/23/2020
This statement has also been jointly signed by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association (AAEM/RSA).