Operating theatres demand meticulously controlled environments to mitigate infection risks and ensure optimal surgical outcomes. Prof. Dr. Clemens Bulitta’s recent IAQS Talk examines the pivotal role of ventilation in designing and maintaining these sterile spaces.
Professor Bulitta has broad, international experience and knowledge in healthcare, the medical technology industry and academia. Since September 2012 he is appointed as full professor for “Diagnostic Systems and Medical Technology Management” at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden, Germany, where he served as Dean of the Department Industrial Engineering and Health from 2017 until 2021. Since October 2001 he is the President of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden. His research focus is on infection prevention and control, clinical workflow, workflow driven architecure and building services as well as innovations in surgery and the operating room. He is an active member in the German Society of Hospital Hygiene, The German Society of Surgery and a fellow of the International College of Surgeons.
Here are the key technical insights derived from this comprehensive presentation:
- Ventilation properties are associated with lower SSI rates,
- Design and equipment impact ventilation efficacy,
- Efficacy assessment of OR ventilation is complex and cannot be reduced to single components,
- A novel index for assesment is proposed,
- Further prospective studies ar needed and could be based on the proposed novel index.
- Current test standards are not developed to assess ventilation effectiveness outside the standard protected area,
- Effectiveness of ventilation systems depends on design and operation and varies for different areas in the operating room,
- Procedures presented in this study support decision-making for the selection of OR ventilation systems when building new ORs or renovating old ones,
- Surgical procedureshould determine configuration of ventialtion systems,
- Assessing operating theatre ventilation in empty rooms at rest may be misleading.
- The ability of ventilation systems to provide low airborne microbial risk depends on design factors,
- Airflow should be vertical, and possess sufficient velocity,
- The effects of obstructions, obstacles and thermals needs to be minimised,
- Air supply should not be warmer than the air in the OT,
- Minimum amount of contaminated air should enter the unidirectional airflow from outside the system (entrainment),
- The system should be large enough to protect not only the surgical wound from airborne contamination but surgical instruments that make contact with the wound.
Listen to the IAQS Talk: