Tip of the week: CDC recommends surgical masks during spinal procedures
Infection Control Weekly Monitor, February 3, 2010
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In last week’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the CDC offers a reminder to healthcare workers that surgical masks are recommended during spinal procedures to prevent infections.
The emphasized recommendation comes after two small clusters of bacterial meningitis surfaced in New York and Ohio. Each case involved spinal anesthesia, and four of the patients had confirmed cases of Streptococcus salivarius meningitis.
Both Ohio cases occurred in Mary Rutan Hospital in Bellefontaine in which an anesthesiologist did not wear a surgical mask, according to the Columbus Dispatch. The hospital amended its policy so all employees must wear a mask within two arm lengths of a patient undergoing spinal procedures.
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