Excessive operating room foot traffic could increase infection risks

A study of nearly 200 hip and knee arthroplasty surgeries found that on average the doors to the operating room were opened every 2.5 minutes and remained opened for a total of 9.6 minutes. In 77 cases, the doors were open long enough to compromise the operating rooms’ positive pressure systems, which prevent airborne contaminants from adjacent hallways and rooms from entering. Despite this, infection only occurred in one knee surgery case.

“This study raises the question of why there is so much operating room traffic,” the study’s authors wrote. “Excessive operating room traffic may indicate logistical and personnel management inefficiencies.”

Source: Orthopedics