Trial of the use of masks in the gynaecological operating theatre.
A randomly controlled trial was performed on 41 women having gynaecological surgery in which the team of surgeons and nurses wore or did not wear masks. After major abdominal surgery, 3 of 5 patients in the unmasked group developed wound infections whereas no infection was observed in the 4 patients of the masked group. A greater number of Streptococci were also found by settle-plates on the operating table in the unmasked group. No infection was recorded after minor or vaginal surgery.
D000005:Abdomen / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D000391:Air Microbiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008397:Masks; D009873:Operating Rooms; D011897:Random Allocation; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014621:Vagina / Q000601:surgery