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Contamination in the Operating Room Environment: Patients, Providers, Surfaces, and Air

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Abstract

This chapter discusses contamination in the operating room environment. It is a common misconception that the operating room, including the anesthesia work area, is entirely sterile. The evidence for pathogen transmission in the operating room is growing and implicates multiple sources of contamination including patients, providers, surfaces, and air. We discuss infection prevention measures that have been shown to prevent pathogen transmission in the operating room. Infection prevention measures should protect healthcare workers as well as patients. The interactions among pathogen transmission in the operating room, infection prevention measures, and healthcare-associated infections need further research.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendations can be found at https://www.osha.gov/laser-electrosurgery-plume. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recommendations can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthcarehsps/smoke.html. Association of periOperative Registered Nurses recommendations are limited to members only.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Srdjan Jelacic & Andrew Bowdle

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  1. Srdjan Jelacic
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  2. Andrew Bowdle
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Correspondence to Srdjan Jelacic .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. VCUHS Epidemiology and Infection Control, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Gonzalo Bearman

  2. Baltimore VA Medical Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Daniel J. Morgan

  3. Division of Infectious Diseases, Cedars-Sinai, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Rekha K. Murthy

  4. Infection Prevention and Control Department, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Susy Hota

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Jelacic, S., Bowdle, A. (2022). Contamination in the Operating Room Environment: Patients, Providers, Surfaces, and Air. In: Bearman, G., Morgan, D.J., K. Murthy, R., Hota, S. (eds) Infection Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98427-4_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98427-4_5

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