Does the use of surgical face masks reduce postoperative infections in traumatic wounds sutured outside hospital? A randomized study at a Norwegian casualty center
Sælen, Kristoffer Holen; Hatlemark, Synne Josefin Myrvang; Brudvik, Christina Elisabeth; Bergh, Torbjørn Hiis; Bernardshaw, Soosaipillai V.; Steen, Knut
Journal article, Peer reviewed
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Date
2024Metadata
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Original version
Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. 2024, 42 (2), 287-294. 10.1080/02813432.2024.2315438Abstract
Objective
To investigate if wearing surgical face mask by doctors and nurses during suturing of traumatic wounds has any impact on postoperative infection rate.
Design
Randomized controlled study with masked or unmasked health personnel groups.
Setting
A Norwegian Minor Injury Department.
Subjects
Adult patients with traumatic wounds sutured at the clinic between 7 October 2019 and 28 May 2020.
Main outcome measures
Postoperative infections of sutured wounds.
Results
One hundred and sixty-five patients with 176 wounds were included in the study. Nine out of 88 wounds (10.2%) in the masked group and 11 out of 88 wounds in the unmasked group (12.5%) had a wound infection.
Conclusions
Despite a higher percentage of postoperative infections in the unmasked than in the masked group (12.5% versus 10.2%), the difference was not statistically significant (p = .6). This might imply that the use of facemasks during suture of traumatic wounds in an outpatient setting does not significantly reduce the number of infections. However, due to the covid pandemic, the study had to be prematurely stopped before the planned number of participants had been recruited (n = 594). This increases the risk of type II error.