We are reviewing our policy for total hip and total knee arthroplasty procedures. We currently require that everyone wears air exhaust hoods, the room is cleaned differently from other ORs, and we limit the number of OR staff members going in and out of the orthopedic rooms.
Postoperative infections are a serious and costly complication of orthopedic surgery.
Efforts to reduce infection rates in total joint replacement procedures have given rise to many different approaches in an attempt to reduce microbial contamination of the room air. There is no general consensus of scientific opinion on the best approach for reducing air contamination during orthopedic total joint replacement procedures. The use of air filtration hoods is controversial. One study published in 1996 found that air exhaust hoods in an OR did not lower airborne microbial contamination when compared to standard head covers and masks. 2 Other researchers have reported reductions in air contamination with air exhaust hoods.