[Washing hands, gloves and face masks in the OT; once controversial, now routine]

Washing hands and wearing gloves and face masks were introduced in surgery as part of an antiseptic and aseptic strategy in the second half of the 19th century. The aim was to prevent germs contaminating the wound in the patient operated on. However, when introduced in surgical practice, these measures were controversial. The need to wash hands was initially ignored. The first rubber gloves were omitted by many surgeons because they hampered 'tissue feel' in the fingers. There were doubts about the use of face masks because normal breathing would not form droplets that could contaminate the wound. Until the mid-20th century therefore, there were surgeons who did not wear gloves or face masks during surgery. Although wearing face masks during surgery is routine today, there is still no scientific evidence that this policy is effective in the prevention of surgical site infections.