Laminar Flow Air: A Comparison of Operating Room Air Purity in Rooms Equipped with Laminar Flow Air Versus No Laminar Flow Air

Abstract

ISSUE: Until 2003 CDC recommended Laminar Air flow in the Operating Rooms where Joint Replacement surgeries were performed. In 2003 this recommendation was eliminated. However, at our hospital knee replacements are continuing to be performed in laminar air flow rooms only. Our Ortho surgeons expressed interest if the clean air rooms actually are an advantage over non laminar flow rooms. There was no data available on air purity colony counts obtained in the operating rooms. A brief project was performed to compare operating room air contamination in rooms equipped with laminar flow versus rooms not equipped with laminar flow.