Is Routine Use of a Face Mask Necessary in the Operating Room?

[AProudLefty]

WHEN introduced a century ago, the purpose of the surgical facemask was to provide protection for the patient from surgical wound infections. But is there evidence that face masks prevent wound infections? A recent review concluded that it is not clear whether face masks prevent surgical wound infections, and the scientific evidence for this practice is weak and insufficient. Questioning the efficacy of surgical face masks, an established routine in operating rooms worldwide, is clearly controversial given the tradition of the practice. Recognizing the lack of sound scientific evidence, we have changed facemask routines in several units at the Karolinska University Hospital (see image by Henrik Jörnvall, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Anesthesia, Surgical Sciences and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden).

Anesthesia personnel are no longer required to wear disposable face masks in the operating room, a practice approved by our surgical colleagues. Surgeons, their assistants, and scrub nurses are still required to wear masks.

https://pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/article/113/6/1447/9572/Is-Routine-Use-of-a-Face-Mask-Necessary-in-the

An interesting study. I suspect that cleaner (more sterile) the operating room is, the less risk there is. So basically it isn't exactly conclusive.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

I've never seen any of my corpsmen use surgical masks in combat surgery............just sayin

 

[AProudLefty]

I've never seen any of my corpsmen use surgical masks in combat surgery............just sayin

Well to be fair it's by volume.

Like Hawkeye said, surgery is by volume. Patch em up and rush em up.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

Well to be fair it's by volume.

Like Hawkeye said, surgery is by volume. Patch em up and rush em up.

 

[AProudLefty]

Yep. Hawkeye and B.J. knew all about it. War is all about volume. Bring in garbage. Fix em up. Shove em back in.

This is obligatory.

 

[Nordberg]

WHEN introduced a century ago, the purpose of the surgical facemask was to provide protection for the patient from surgical wound infections. But is there evidence that face masks prevent wound infections? A recent review concluded that it is not clear whether face masks prevent surgical wound infections, and the scientific evidence for this practice is weak and insufficient. Questioning the efficacy of surgical face masks, an established routine in operating rooms worldwide, is clearly controversial given the tradition of the practice. Recognizing the lack of sound scientific evidence, we have changed facemask routines in several units at the Karolinska University Hospital (see image by Henrik Jörnvall, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Anesthesia, Surgical Sciences and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden).

Anesthesia personnel are no longer required to wear disposable face masks in the operating room, a practice approved by our surgical colleagues. Surgeons, their assistants, and scrub nurses are still required to wear masks.

https://pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/article/113/6/1447/9572/Is-Routine-Use-of-a-Face-Mask-Necessary-in-the

An interesting study. I suspect that cleaner (more sterile) the operating room is, the less risk there is. So basically it isn't exactly conclusive.

Surgeons and those involved in the operation still wear them. Anesthesiologists do not.

 

[Yakuda]

WHEN introduced a century ago, the purpose of the surgical facemask was to provide protection for the patient from surgical wound infections. But is there evidence that face masks prevent wound infections? A recent review concluded that it is not clear whether face masks prevent surgical wound infections, and the scientific evidence for this practice is weak and insufficient. Questioning the efficacy of surgical face masks, an established routine in operating rooms worldwide, is clearly controversial given the tradition of the practice. Recognizing the lack of sound scientific evidence, we have changed facemask routines in several units at the Karolinska University Hospital (see image by Henrik Jörnvall, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Anesthesia, Surgical Sciences and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden).

Anesthesia personnel are no longer required to wear disposable face masks in the operating room, a practice approved by our surgical colleagues. Surgeons, their assistants, and scrub nurses are still required to wear masks.

https://pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/article/113/6/1447/9572/Is-Routine-Use-of-a-Face-Mask-Necessary-in-the

An interesting study. I suspect that cleaner (more sterile) the operating room is, the less risk there is. So basically it isn't exactly conclusive.

So thanks for proving fau chi min was accurate when he said he only wore the mask to make others feel comfortable.