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Influence of operating room surface contamination on surgical wounds: a prospective study
Abstract:
The influence of operating room contamination on wound infection rates in clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated, and septid procedures was studied by a prospective randomized study of 2,020 surgical wounds. Operating room surface contamination was assessed by the RODAC bacterial plate method. Control rooms uniformly received Wet-Vac cleaning between operations. Experimental rooms were not cleaned between consecutive clean operations, but were cleaned after contaminated operations. The difference in surface contamination between groups of experimental and control rooms was found to be significant at the P less than .05 level. Patients operated on in experimental and control rooms were followed up postoperatively to assess whether they experienced wound infection. No statistically significant differences in wound infection rates were found between experimental and control room operations as total groups, clean procedures, or operations of long duration.
Insights
This study investigated operating room contamination and surgical wound infections. Despite significant differences in surface contamination, no significant increase in wound infection rates was observed between cleaned and uncleaned operating rooms.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare-associated infections
- Surgical site infection prevention
- Environmental hygiene in healthcare
Background:
- Operating room contamination is a potential risk factor for surgical site infections (SSIs).
- Standard cleaning protocols aim to minimize microbial load on surfaces.
- The impact of reduced cleaning frequency on SSIs requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the influence of operating room surface contamination on wound infection rates.
- To compare infection rates between standard cleaning protocols and a modified protocol with reduced cleaning frequency.
Main Methods:
- A prospective randomized study of 2,020 surgical wounds.
- Operating room surface contamination assessed using the RODAC bacterial plate method.
- Comparison of standard Wet-Vac cleaning versus a modified protocol (no cleaning between clean operations).
Main Results:
- A statistically significant difference in surface contamination was found between experimental and control rooms (P < .05).
- No statistically significant differences in wound infection rates were observed between experimental and control groups.
- This held true for total procedures, clean procedures, and long-duration operations.
Conclusions:
- Reducing operating room cleaning frequency between clean procedures did not significantly increase surgical wound infection rates.
- Environmental contamination levels may not directly correlate with clinical SSI outcomes under specific conditions.
- Further research is needed to optimize operating room hygiene strategies for SSI prevention.