Masks and shields make it harder to hear in the OR, study finds

NCT ID NCT07505953

First seen May 09, 2026 · Last updated May 12, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looked at how wearing surgical masks, N95 masks, and face shields together affects speech understanding and listening effort in operating rooms. Researchers tested 35 people with normal hearing and surveyed 184 operating room workers. They found that the extra protective gear made it harder to hear speech, especially with background noise.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Biruni University

    Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Conditions

Explore the condition pages connected to this study.