Incidence of perceived and actual face shield contamination during vaginal and cesarean delivery

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of potential contamination or splashes to the face of obstetricians during vaginal and cesarean delivery. Study Design: Clear plastic face shields were worn during 50 consecutive vaginal and 50 consecutive cesarean deliveries. The face shields were then analyzed for evidence of contamination, and rates of contamination were compared. Results: The contamination rate of the face shields was 50% during cesarean deliveries and 32% during vaginal deliveries. Ninety-two percent of the contaminated face shields were undetected by physicians at the time of cesarean delivery and 50% were undetected at the time of the vaginal delivery. Conclusions: Obstetricians commonly receive blood or amniotic fluid splashes to the face during deliveries and should wear protective eyeglasses or face shields during all deliveries to minimize the risk of exposure to potentially infectious blood and body fluids.