These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: The effect of a portable HEPA-filtered body exhaust system on airborne microbial contamination in a conventional operating room.
    Author: Bohn WW, McKinsey DS, Dykstra M, Koppe S.
    Journal: Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol; 1996 Jul; 17(7):419-22. PubMed ID: 8839798.
    Abstract:
    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. DESIGN AND SETTING: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]