Abstract

MASK PRODUCTION

*Prashant Santosh Nalinde, Prof. S. T. Nakhate (M pharm) and L. D. Hingane (Ph. D scholar)

ABSTRACT

A surgical face mask is also known as a procedure mask and purposely to be worn by health care professionals during operation procedures. It helps to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. Normal activities such as sneezing, coughing, breathing and speaking may release oral, dermal and nasopharyngeal bacteria that may cause post-operative infections. Microorganisms have varying characteristics that can influence their potential ability to penetrate the facemask material including shape, size and their surface characteristics. Some studies reported that variety of pathogens are encountered in the hospital environment, a relatively limited number of hospital infections including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus. Some studies reported that the rod shaped bacteria penetrate less than spherically shaped bacteria of similar size. This review focuses on surgical face masks and their classification based on the performance like filtration efficiency, pressure difference, splash resistance etc. Further, the quality evaluation of surgical face masks and standards for manufacturing surgical face masks has also been reviewed.

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