Door openings affect OR pressure during joint arthroplasty

Editor's Note

This study from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, found a significant relationship between OR door openings and room pressure.

The OR door was opened, on average, once every 2.5 minutes of surgery. For 77 of 191 knee and hip arthroplasties, the doors were open long enough for positive room pressure to be defeated, causing air to flow into the OR.

The primary concern about defeating the positive pressure system is the potential increase in risk of infections, the authors say.

Orthopedics | Many resources are expended to ensure a sterile operating room environment. Efforts are made to prevent exposure of patients to personnel and to achieve positive room pressure to keep out airborne contaminants. Foot traffic into and out of the operating room during surgery can undermine these efforts.