The surgical mask: are new tests relevant for OR practice?

Since the turn of the 20th century, when researchers were discovering the presence of bacteria in droplets from the nose and mouth and the role these bacteria played in disease transmission, masks have been used as a method to protect both health care providers and patients from respiratory diseases. In 1926, the first study was published that indicated masks might also play a role in reducing the incidence of surgical site infections. That report spearheaded the development of new mask materials and designs and devices to demonstrate their filtering efficiency. This article provides a historical review of the work done by researchers over the years and examines whether tests to determine the filtering efficiency of surgical masks, including those recently adopted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are relevant to actual OR conditions.