Does wearing double surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic reduce maternal oxygen saturation in term pregnant women?: A prospective study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the effects of using single and double surgical masks (SM) on maternal oxygen saturation in pregnant women. METHODS: In this prospective study, single or double SM were worn by term pregnant women who applied for routine controls. The vital signs of the participants such as oxygen saturation, pulse, respiratory rate, fever, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured at admission and 30 min later. RESULTS: There were 223 participants in the single SM group and 231 participants in the double SM group. Thirty minutes after putting on the mask, there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients whose oxygen saturation fell below 95 (3.6 vs 5.6%, p = 0.301). No significant difference was observed between the admission and 30 min oxygen saturation levels of the pregnant women in the single SM group. However, maternal oxygen saturation after 30 min of the pregnant women in the double SM group was significantly lower (97.4 ± 1.1 vs 96.6 ± 1.3, p < 0.001). No significant changes were observed in the vital signs of either groups. CONCLUSION: When using double SM, oxygen saturation is significantly reduced compared to pre-mask values. Nevertheless, it seems difficult to say that these decreases have clinical significance.