[The hygienic significance of operating lights]

In connection with the evaluation of hospital infections, the investigations of several authors indicate a rate of about 25% of surgical wound infections. The greater part are exogenic infections the number of which can be influenced by prophylactic measures in the environment of surgical activity. In this connection, the importance of surgical lights as possible sources of germs or with respect to a possible dissemination of germs is taken into consideration. The investigations conducted for this purpose showed that a hygienic risk is not involved in the use of surgical lights of the type "closed system", whereas surgical lights of the type "open system" seem rather precarious. It was demonstrated that the latter bear the possibility of a germ colony within the lamp as well as of a germ dissemination from the lamp. So the hygienic aspect should be considered when choosing a surgical light. Lights of the type "open system" are not recommendable.