The effect of a portable HEPA-filtered body exhaust system on airborne microbial contamination in a conventional operating room.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of a portable HEPA-filtered air exhaust system (Stackhouse Freedom Surgical Helmet System) on airborne microbial contamination in a modern conventional operating room.


METHODS
Microbial air sampling was done with a two-stage Anderson sampler at the wound site during 46 total joint replacements. All operations were performed by the same surgeon in the same operating room at a large community hospital.


RESULTS
In 18 cases done without air exhaust hoods, the number of bacterial and fungal colony-forming units (CFU) ranged from 0.6 to 11.7 (mean, 3.6). Air sampling during 28 operations with the operating team in air exhaust hoods revealed a mean of 3.6 CFU (range, 0 to 11.4). Bacterial CFU averaged 3.4 without hoods and 3.2 with exhaust hoods. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common isolates (48% of isolates with hood, 55% without hood). No infections occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that these air exhaust hoods did not lower airborne microbial contamination detectable with this air sampling method, as compared to standard head cover and mask, in a modern conventional operating room.
Bohn
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Research Medical Center Consulting Faculty, University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine, USA.
McKinsey
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DS
Dykstra
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Koppe
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D000391:Air Microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007595:Joint Prosthesis; D009873:Operating Rooms; D014691:Ventilation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards