Clothing Systems in Operating Rooms – A Comparative Study

The number of airborne bacteria-carrying particles in the operating room is considered an indicator of the risk of infections to the patient undergoing surgery. When the supply air in the operating room is HEPA-filtered, the main source of microorganisms is people (patient and staff). The filtration efficacy of the fabric in operating clothing systems plays an important role. The design of the clothing systems also affects the number of particles emitted from people into the air of the operating room. In ultraclean operating rooms, the selection of clothing systems for the operating team should be considered in terms of patient safety. Examples of clothing systems evaluated in operating rooms will be presented. The predicted influence of different clothing systems in the operating room will be discussed.