Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the impact of different types of masks on the voices of healthcare professionals who had to wear masks for an extended amount of time during the pandemic period and had a healthy voice.
METHODS: Our research included 41 healthcare workers. The participants were separated into two groups: surgical (n = 21) and N95 mask users (n = 20). Healthcare workers evaluated masks before and after wearing them for at least 8 hours throughout the workday. All subjects had a videolaryngoscopic examination; the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), GRBAS, acoustic voice analysis (F0, jitter%, shimmer%, noise/harmonic ratio, relative average perturbation [RAP]), aerodynamic measures (maximum phonation time, MPT), and blood oxygen saturation were evaluated.
RESULTS: Although both groups\' VHI-10 scores increased after using the mask, this rise was not statistically significant in our research. According to the GRBAS classification, voice quality deterioration was identified in 9.6% (mild-moderate) of the group using surgical masks and 15% (mild) of the group wearing N95. Only the jitter and RAP values of individuals wearing both surgical and N95 masks were determined to be statistically significant. There was no significant change in MPT following mask wear in either group. Both the surgical and N95 mask-using groups showed a substantial drop in blood oxygen saturation before and after mask usage.
CONCLUSIONS: There was no change in voice quality between healthcare workers wearing surgical and N95 masks. It has been noticed that voice perception and quality are affected by the mask\'s barrier effect rather than the kind of mask.
METHODS: Our research included 41 healthcare workers. The participants were separated into two groups: surgical (n = 21) and N95 mask users (n = 20). Healthcare workers evaluated masks before and after wearing them for at least 8 hours throughout the workday. All subjects had a videolaryngoscopic examination; the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), GRBAS, acoustic voice analysis (F0, jitter%, shimmer%, noise/harmonic ratio, relative average perturbation [RAP]), aerodynamic measures (maximum phonation time, MPT), and blood oxygen saturation were evaluated.
RESULTS: Although both groups\' VHI-10 scores increased after using the mask, this rise was not statistically significant in our research. According to the GRBAS classification, voice quality deterioration was identified in 9.6% (mild-moderate) of the group using surgical masks and 15% (mild) of the group wearing N95. Only the jitter and RAP values of individuals wearing both surgical and N95 masks were determined to be statistically significant. There was no significant change in MPT following mask wear in either group. Both the surgical and N95 mask-using groups showed a substantial drop in blood oxygen saturation before and after mask usage.
CONCLUSIONS: There was no change in voice quality between healthcare workers wearing surgical and N95 masks. It has been noticed that voice perception and quality are affected by the mask\'s barrier effect rather than the kind of mask.
摘要：
目的：本研究旨在确定不同类型的口罩对在大流行期间不得不长时间佩戴口罩并拥有健康嗓音的医疗保健专业人员的嗓音的影响。
方法：我们的研究包括41名医护人员。参与者分为两组：手术（n=21）和N95口罩使用者（n=20）。医护人员在整个工作日佩戴口罩前后至少8小时进行评估。所有受试者均进行了视频喉镜检查；语音障碍指数-10（VHI-10），GRBAS,声学语音分析(F0，抖动%，微光%,噪声/谐波比，相对平均扰动[RAP])，空气动力学措施(最大发声时间，MPT),评估血氧饱和度。
结果：尽管两组的VHI-10评分在使用面罩后都增加了，这一上升在我们的研究中没有统计学意义.根据GRBAS分类，在使用外科口罩的组中,有9.6%(轻度-中度)的语音质量恶化,在佩戴N95的组中,有15%(轻度)的语音质量恶化.只有佩戴手术面罩和N95面罩的个体的抖动和RAP值被确定为具有统计学意义。两组戴口罩后MPT均无明显变化。手术组和使用N95面罩组均显示使用面罩前后血氧饱和度大幅下降。
结论：佩戴外科口罩和N95口罩的医护人员的语音质量没有变化。已经注意到，语音感知和质量受面罩的屏障效应而不是面罩的种类影响。
方法：我们的研究包括41名医护人员。参与者分为两组：手术（n=21）和N95口罩使用者（n=20）。医护人员在整个工作日佩戴口罩前后至少8小时进行评估。所有受试者均进行了视频喉镜检查；语音障碍指数-10（VHI-10），GRBAS,声学语音分析(F0，抖动%，微光%,噪声/谐波比，相对平均扰动[RAP])，空气动力学措施(最大发声时间，MPT),评估血氧饱和度。
结果：尽管两组的VHI-10评分在使用面罩后都增加了，这一上升在我们的研究中没有统计学意义.根据GRBAS分类，在使用外科口罩的组中,有9.6%(轻度-中度)的语音质量恶化,在佩戴N95的组中,有15%(轻度)的语音质量恶化.只有佩戴手术面罩和N95面罩的个体的抖动和RAP值被确定为具有统计学意义。两组戴口罩后MPT均无明显变化。手术组和使用N95面罩组均显示使用面罩前后血氧饱和度大幅下降。
结论：佩戴外科口罩和N95口罩的医护人员的语音质量没有变化。已经注意到，语音感知和质量受面罩的屏障效应而不是面罩的种类影响。
