Safety Ventilation in Operating Rooms - A Review

Magazine article, 2015

Safety ventilation is defined as the interaction between air movements and the dispersion of contaminants in industrial environments and the control of these environments, both regarding human safety and product safety/cleanliness. The hospital environment is contaminated by microorganisms; some of them are antibiotic resistant. The number of airborne bacteriacarrying particles in the operating room is considered as an indicator of the risk of infections to the patient undergoing surgery susceptible to infections. To prevent surgical site infection, it is desirable to keep the bacteria-carrying particles at a low number in the operating room air, especially during ortopaedic surgery. The review deals with practical safety ventilation in operating rooms with regard to airborne bacteria-carrying particles and describes the technical control measures: ventilation(air distribution) and clothing systems.