Reasons for Using Surgical Mask in the Medical Field

Have you ever wondered why doctors wear surgical masks when attending to various patients? Or why are you requested to wear a mask when entering the operating room? There are several reasons why people wear surgical masks in the medical field.  The common is a preventive method. Other than the outbreak of an airborne disease, you can be asked to wear a surgical mask as a way of avoiding contamination.  Below are several reasons for using a surgical mask in the medical field.

To Avoid Contracting Diseases

Medical fields are full of sick people. Everyone there is ailing from a different disease. When doctors attend to patients suffering from unknown or airborne diseases, they wear a surgical mask to avoid catching the illness.

One doctor is expected to serve many patients before the day ends. That is why they need to be careful. If they don’t wear a surgical mask when attending to patients with infectious diseases, they risk being infected. If a doctor becomes infected, it’s easy to spread the same illness to other patients and hospital staff.  It can be chaotic if such a case scenario is experienced since it can become an outbreak.  To avoid all that, doctors and nurses order surgical masks in their medical supplies.

To Protect Other People.

Hospitals and medical fields are sensitive places. They are full of ill people whose immune systems are poor. In other wings of the hospital, some newborn babies are delicate. You might have an underlying disease that you are not aware you have. Therefore, when you see a person in a hospital, you might spread the disease. If their immune system is weak, it can be detrimental. That is why, when you are going to see someone in the maternity or operating room, you must wear a surgical mask.  This way, you are sure that you will not spread any illness.  

Sometimes, you need a surgical mask when you visit someone in the theatre. It will ensure that no unwanted floods like saliva will contaminate the wound. 

To Avoid Tampering

Lab technicians wear surgical masks when lethal or essential samples. The importance of wearing a surgical mask in such a situation is that the lab technician will protect himself if the samples are deadly.

On the other hand, some samples are vital, and the slightest mistake will change their components. Therefore, lab technicians must be meticulous and even wear a surgical mask to ensure nothing tampers with that evidence. 

Surgeons also use surgical masks when operating. It helps protect them and avoids tampering with the patient undergoing surgery. Surgery is highly sensitive, and even the slightest contamination can be detrimental. 

Bottom Line

Surgical masks are crucial medical supplies in the medical field. Doctors, nurses, visitors, and even patients wear them for different purposes. Surgical masks help protect healthy people from becoming ill and make sure that the ill does contract new infections. Lab technicians and surgeons also use them to avoid consecutively tampering with lab samples and patients on the operating table.