A preliminary evaluation of surgical field contamination risk from surgeon's oro-nasopharyngeal commensal organisms while using reusable FFP3 respirator masks and power hoods with relevance to the COVID 19 pandemic - A pilot study.

In early 2019 in the UK, concern about the risk of COVID-19 transmission to surgeons who operate near to the airway led to wide scale adoption of different masks, including valved types used in industry. It was noted early on that although these masks protect clinicians, they may represent a risk to the patient due to unfiltered air being directed towards them during close contact and the National Health Service circulated guidance to that effect. Subsequently, an increased incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) was noticed, postulated to be due to contamination of the surgical field by microbial particles from valved masks or hoods leading to a National Patient Safety Alert.

Cost Consequences for the NHS of Using a Two-Step Testing Method for the Detection of with a Point of Care, Polymerase Chain Reaction Test as the First Step.

infection (CDI) is a common healthcare-associated infection. Current practice for diagnosing CDI in the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust involves a three-step, laboratory testing strategy using glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) enzyme immunoassay (EIA), followed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test then a toxin EIA. However, a PCR point of care test (POCT) for the tcdB gene for screening suspected CDI cases, may provide a more efficient way of facilitating an equally effective, two-step, testing strategy with a toxin EIA.