2998 -- Operating Room Environment with Turbulent Airflow PDF

Different levels of bacteriological contamination were observed in two identical operating rooms served by air-conditioning systems having the same air distribution with a definite turbulent pattern.

Both rooms had practically the same occupancy rates,but in one of them dirty wound operations were performed, whereas in the other only traumatology surgery - i .e ., with clean wounds - was carried out.

The bacterial particle count readings taken over the operating table revealed, as expected, a lower contamination level in the traumatology room - never above Class 5 level as defined by the American College of Surgeons. In the operating room where dirty wound operations were performed, Class 5 level was - though not always - exceeded.

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