Patient draping and staff clothing in the operating theatre: a microbiological study

Fallout of bacteria and contamination at the wound site were studied during a standardized orthopaedic operation using sedimentation plates and a bacterial sampler. The procedure was performed in either a conventionally ventilated operating theatre or in an ultraclean air enclosure. The staff was dressed in either an all-cotton system (working clothes and theatre gown) or cotton working clothes in combination with Ventile theatre gown, or a laminate disposable theatre gown, or finally a polypropylene coverall and a laminate theatre gown. The patients were draped in cotton or laminate. The study was done during 5 periods. The most striking effect was seen when the combination of the coverall and the laminate theatre gown was used. The fallout in the conventional theatre was then at the same level as in the ultraclean air. It was even less than using Ventile gowns and laminate drapes in ultraclean air. The contamination at the wound site showed the same pattern. However, least contamination was recorded when laminate gowns and laminate drapes were used in ultraclean air.