VC-21A-C018 – Efficacy of Temperature-Controlled Airflow in Maintaining Ultraclean Conditions throughout the Operating Room

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Thirty years of evidence supports the efficacy of ultra-clean air in preventing surgical site infection (SSI). Ultraclean is defined as fewer than 10 Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per cubic meter or <10CFU/m3 (35ft3). However, achieving and maintaining ultraclean conditions in the contemporary operating room has proven challenging. For decades, Laminar Air Flow (LAF) systems were recommended for use in rooms where infection sensitive joint arthroplasty procedures are performed. But, a growing body of evidence has called the efficacy of LAF in prevention of these infections into question. As a result, CDC no longer recommends use of LAF for joint arthroplasty. The WHO has gone a step further issuing a conditional recommendation against its use in these procedures.

At the same time, demand for total hip and knee arthroplasties are expected to grow exponentially over the next decade and for reasons that are unclear rates of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) are on the rise. Taken together, these factors suggest that the time has come to rethink management of airborne contamination and ventilation technology in the operating room. Temperature-controlled Air Flow (TcAF) is a novel ventilation technology that has been proven to maintain ultra-clean conditions throughout the entire operating room.