Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Principles of Rodent Surgery for the New Surgeon
Published on: January 6, 2011
Does wearing facemasks during small animal surgery reduce the incidence of surgical site infections?
Pico Question:
In small animals undergoing theatre-based surgical procedures does having all theatre personnel masked, compared with not having all theatre personnel masked, result in a reduced incidence of surgical site infections?
Category Of Research:
Incidence.
Number And Type Of Study Designs Reviewed:
Zero. No records relevant to the PICO question were retrieved from the literature search.
Strength Of Evidence:
Zero.
Outcomes Reported:
There is no published evidence specific to small animals that assesses the effect of wearing facemasks during surgical procedures on the rate of postoperative surgical site infections.
Conclusion:
In small animals undergoing theatre-based surgical procedures, there is no published evidence evaluating the effect of having all theatre personnel masked compared with not having all theatre personnel masked on the incidence of surgical site infections. However, this lack of evidence should not be interpreted as lack of efficacy.
