TABLE 50.8.

Ventilation System Specifications for the Operating Room

•Minimize the circulation of people during surgeries. It has been proved that the level of microbes in the operating room air is directly proportional to the number of people moving inside the room. •Maintain humidity under 68% and temperature control to prevent environmental conditions that favor the development of germs. •Maintain positive pressure compared with corridors and surrounding areas to prevent microorganisms from entering the operating room. •Provide at least 15 air changes per hour in the operating room, 20% of which should be fresh air. Air should be recirculated through a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. •Air should be introduced at ceiling level and disposed of at ground level.

From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for environmental infection control in health-care facilities: recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). MMWR Recommendtions and Reports 2003;52(RR10):1–42. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5210a1.htm.