[Is use of surgical caps and masks obsolete during percutaneous heart catheterization?]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Healthcare Practices

Background:

• Surgical caps and masks are commonly used in catheterisation laboratories despite a lack of scientific evidence for infection prevention.
• Practitioner routines in catheterisation labs often include wearing surgical attire to prevent infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of routine surgical caps and masks in preventing infections during cardiac catheterisation.
• To assess the impact of surgical attire on procedure-related inflammation and infection rates.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study was conducted involving patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation.
• Patients were randomly assigned to catheterisation laboratories with or without routine cap and mask usage.
• Post-procedure infection and inflammation signs were assessed via questionnaires sent to patients.

Main Results:

• Out of 1,034 patients, 855 responded to the questionnaire.
• A small number of patients reported groin access site complaints (6.1% with caps/masks vs. 4.3% without), but no definite infections were identified.
• No statistically significant difference in infection rates was observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

• The routine use of surgical caps and masks in cardiac catheterisation laboratories does not appear to significantly reduce procedure-related infections or inflammation.
• Current practices of wearing caps and masks may not be evidence-based for infection control in this setting.
• Further research may be needed to explore other factors influencing infection rates, such as catheter size and procedure duration.