Thermophysiological Comfort of Surgeons and Patient in an Operating Room Based on PMV-PPD and PHS Indexes

Radostina A Angelova,Rositsa Velichkova

doi:10.3390/app10051801

Abstract

There are different actors in an operating room (OR), who have controversial requirements for the indoor thermal environment. While the patient is at risk of perioperative hypothermia, the surgeons are in a state of thermophysiological discomfort. The study presents an analysis of the thermophysiological comfort of both patient and surgeons in an OR. Surgical clothing ensembles with three values of clothing insulation are simulated. Different indoor environment conditions (air temperature and relative humidity) are tested. The analysis is based on the calculation of predicted mean vote and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PMV-PPD) indexes and assessment of the climatic conditions categories. Discussion of the predicted heat strain is also presented. The simulated results and their analysis show considerable discrepancies between the thermophysiological comfort of the patient and the surgeons, even when dressed in a light protective ensemble, in the same indoor environment.

Highlights

The indoor environmental conditions in an operating room (OR) are usually designed to satisfy the patients’ comfort and health [1]
The present paper aims to perform an analysis of thermophysiological comfort in an OR from the point of view of both the patient and the surgeons during an operation
The limitations of the study are related to the fact that the predicted mean vote (PMV)/predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) model is developed for Thepeople use of different and clothing ensembles, coupled with different metabolic activity, healthy and its textiles application for a patient under anaesthesia might not be correct, asputs the the patient and the surgeon in opposed thermal conditions in the operating room

Summary

Introduction

The indoor environmental conditions in an operating room (OR) are usually designed to satisfy the patients’ comfort and health [1]. The International Standard ISO 7730 [2], which deals with the specification of the conditions for thermal comfort, does not make a difference between types of indoor spaces in terms of thermal comfort. The thermophysiological comfort of people in the indoor environment depends on three groups of factors [3]: . Environmental factors: air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative air humidity, air movement (air velocity); Factors related to the state of the human body: thermoregulation mechanism, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, skeletal-muscular system, digestive system; Factors related to clothing/textiles as a barrier between the body and the environment: insulating ability (resistance to heat transfer), air permeability, water vapour permeability, water repellency, drying rate.

Methods

Results

Conclusion