Infection control hazards associated with the use of forced-air warming in operating theatres

Wood, A.M., Moss, C., Keenan, A., Reed, M.R. and Leaper, David J. (2014) Infection control hazards associated with the use of forced-air warming in operating theatres. Journal of Hospital Infection, 88 (3). pp. 132-140. ISSN 0195-6701

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Abstract

A review is presented of the published experimental and clinical research into the infection control hazards of using forced air-warming (FAW) in operating theatres to prevent inadvertent hypothermia. This evidence has been reviewed with emphasis on the use of ultra-clean ventilation, any interaction it has with different types of patient warming (and FAW in particular), and any related increased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). We conclude that FAW does contaminate ultra-clean air ventilation; however, there appears to be no definite link to an increased risk of SSI based on current research. Nevertheless, whereas this remains unproven, we recommend that surgeons should at least consider alternative patient-warming systems in areas where contamination of the operative field may be critical. Although this is not a systematic review of acceptable randomized controlled clinical trials, which do not exist, it does identify that there is a need for definitive research in this field.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RD Surgery
Schools:	School of Human and Health Sciences School of Human and Health Sciences > Institute for Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention
Related URLs:	Author
Depositing User:	Cherry Edmunds
Date Deposited:	25 Aug 2015 14:47
Last Modified:	02 Dec 2015 12:35
URI:	http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/25534

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