The Role of Airborne Bacteria-Carrying Particles in Contamination of Sterile Surfaces in the Operating Room and Coping Srategies: A Review Study

Surgical site infection (SSI) is the most significant postoperative complication. The sources of microorganisms that cause SSIs in healthcare facilities are multifactorial in origin and they may be endogenous (e.g. patient’s own normal skin flora) or exogenous (e.g. airborne bacteria-carrying particles [ABCPs]). The skin flora of patients is the direct source of contamination in only 2% of cases and remaining 98% of cases connected to ABCPs. Therefore, the current study tried to provide useful information for surgical team about the roleof ABCPs in contamination of sterile surfaces in the operating room (OR); moreover, this study provided strategies to deal with it.

The present research was a descriptive study performed by review method. Data were collected by searching various databases including Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar search engine.

Surgical wound contamination (SWC) and SSI prevention depends on minimization of ABCPs. Hence, maintaining clear air in the OR by using the efficient ventilation systems, limiting traffic and opening doors and using of non-woven fabric instead of cotton fabric can maintain low ABCPs in the OR environment and they reduce the chances of infections by ABCPs transmission.

Everyone on the surgical team is responsible for establishing and maintaining a sterile field by using sterile techniques to prevent SWC and SSI. The results of this review suggests that OR staff should be educated about routes of sterile field contamination by ABCPs to be able to prevent risk of SWC and incidence of SSI.