title: Effect of surgical mask position on bacterial contamination of the operative field.
abstract: The influence of surgical mask usage on bacterial contamination of the operative field was studied during 30 cardiac catheterization procedures. Mask position was varied during each procedure according to a predesigned random table. The number of bacterial colonies recoverable when no mask was worn was significantly higher than that detected when a full mask was worn (P < 0.002). Shedding of Staphylococcus epidermidis was greater when no mask was worn (mean 5.2 colonies 10 min-1) than shedding with full mask (mean 2.7 colonies 10 min-1; P < 0.004). Although mask placement below the nose was associated with higher mean colony counts than that above the nose, these differences were not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frimmerman
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008397:Masks; D009873:Operating Rooms; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification