Researchers assessed 28 ORs located in a tertiary referral medical center in Taiwan. They measured microbiologic air counts using an impactor air sampler from May to August 2015. They also collected information about procedure-related operative characteristics and surgical environment characteristics.
In all, researchers collected 250 air samples during surgeries. The overall mean number of bacterial colonies in the ORs was 78 ± 47 cfu/m3.
The study shows that the following are factors influencing bacterial counts in the air in ORs:
• Surgical stage
• Type of surgery
• Site of procedure
• Number of indoor staff
• Surgical staging
• Indoor air temperature
Researchers also found the mean number of colonies was the highest for transplant surgery, followed by pediatric surgery. Twenty-five samples contained pathogens; and Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was the most common pathogen found in samples.
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