[Facial mask--effective protection against blood spattering]

The protective effect of a see-through face visor was evaluated in four different types of operation. In a clinical trial, the visor was used 150 times by eight different surgeons, and the number of blood spatters, type of operation and blood loss was registered. There was no correlation between the size of the blood loss and the number of blood spatters. At caesarean section, a median of four blood spatters per operation was found on the visor. At the other three types of operation (hysterectomy, operation for vaginal prolapse and episiotomy) the median was one blood spatter per operation. The area surrounding the eye constituted three percent of the visor's area. We thus found the risk of getting a blood spatter in the area of the eye at caesarean section to be four percent (95% confidence limits 0.1-20.4). In conclusion, we found the face visor offered good protection against blood spatters.