Operating room hygiene: Clinical practice recommendations

Abstract

Introduction: The French Society of Gastro-Intestinal Surgery (SociétéFrançaisedeChirurgieDigestive) and the Association of hepato-bilio-pancreatic and transplantation surgery (AssociationdeChirurgieHépato-Bilio-PancréatiqueetTransplantation) requested that clinical practice recommendations be established with regard to operating room hygiene.

Methods: The literature was analyzed according to the High Authority of Health (HauteAutoritédesanté [HAS]) methodology and after consultation of the Cochrane and Medline databases. Pertinent references were selected, and supplementary references were hand-picked from the reference lists. Only English or French language papers were retained. The recommendations of learned societies and the World Health Organization were also considered.

Results: Recommendations were proposed with regard to pre-operative patient preparation, skin preparation, draping, wound edge protectors, surgeon hygiene, wound closure, and operating room environment.

Conclusion: These clinical practice recommendations should guide and improve the daily practice of gastro-intestinal surgeons.

Keywords: Associationdechirurgiehépato-bilio-pancréatiqueettransplantation; Clinical practice recommendations; Operating room hygiene; Sociétéfrançaisedechirurgiedigestive.