Table 5.

Surgical staff preparation

Surgical staff should be limited to essential personnel to avoid flux of multiple professionals into the room

PPE should be readily available at the door of the OR and donned prior to entry to the operating room

All personnel should wear an N95/FFP3 mask or, if available, PAPRs in the COVID-19 OR

Surgeons and scrub technicians/surgical assistants should wear an additional surgical mask over the N95/FFP3 mask to limit risk for splash contamination of the mask, which might necessitate mask exchange during the operation. Ideally, if available, a complete facial shield should be used over the two masks

All staff should be equipped with eye protection, masks, gown, gloves and shoe covers

Head coverage should include disposable cover

Personal reusable head coverage should be covered with a disposable cover

Personal fabric reusable head coverage is discouraged, unless strictly necessary in the absence of disposable head covers and should be washed and sanitized after each case

Surgeons, scrub technicians/surgical assistants, and nurses MUST double glove when scrubbed in the case

Standard sterile techniques should be employed in all cases

Operating room doors during operation should remain closed. If the operating room has two doors, one should be used exclusive for access to materials brought to the OR required during the case, which should be placed on a table and picked up by the staff inside the room to minimize person to person contact

A “runner” should remain available by phone to service the room and limit entrance and egress during the case