This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Should Gowns and Masks Be Used?

Caroline Breese Hall, MD; R. Gordon Douglas, Jr, MD

Am J Dis Child. 1981;135(6):512-515.

Abstract
• The efficacy of infection control procedures utilizing gowns and masks in the control of nosocomial respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections was evaluated by comparing the rate of nosocomial RSV infections in infants and ward personnel during two sequential periods when gowns and masks were used (period 1) and not used (period 2). All patients (162) and staff (36) on our infants' ward were examined for signs of respiratory infection and had nasal washes obtained for viral isolation every two to four days for two months. Nosocomial RSV infection was identified in a total of 19 infants. Eight of these occurred in period 1 for a nosocomial infection rate of 32% of contact infants who were hospitalized for seven or more days. In comparison, 11 (41%) of the contact infants hospitalized for seven or more days in period 2 became infected. These findings suggest that the additional routine use of masks and gowns does not result in measurable benefit in controlling the nosocomial spread of RSV infection to infants or to ward personnel.

(Am J Dis Child 1981;135:512-515)

Author Affiliations
From the Infectious Diseases Unit, Departments of Pediatrics (Dr Hall) and Medicine (Drs Hall and Douglas), University of Rochester (NY) School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Box MED, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642 (Dr Hall).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses: systematic review
Jefferson et al.
BMJ 2009;339:b3675-b3675.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nosocomial Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections: The Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit of Infection Control
Macartney et al.
Pediatrics 2000;106:520-526.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nosocomial Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Canadian Pediatric Hospitals: A Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada Study
Langley et al.
Pediatrics 1997;100:943-946.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT