Guidelines for clothing in the operating theatre, 2021

Abstract

Objective: To provide guidelines for the choice of items of clothing (except sterile surgical gown) for staff working in the operating theatre.

Design: A committee of nine experts from SFAR and the SF2H learned societies was convened. A formal conflict-of-interest policy was developed at the beginning of the process and enforced throughout. Likewise, it did not benefit from any funding from a company marketing a health product (drug or medical device). The authors were required to follow the rules of the GRADE® method (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) to assess the quality of the evidence on which the recommendations were based.

Methods: We aimed to formulate recommendations according to the GRADE® methodology for four different fields: operating theatre suits, operating theatre hats, masks, and shoes/over-shoes. Each question was formulated according to the PICO format (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome). The literature review and recommendations were formulated according to the GRADE® methodology.

Results: The experts' synthesis work and their application of the GRADE® method resulted in 13 recommendations. As the GRADE® method could not be integrally applied to all questions, some recommendations were formulated as expert opinions.

Conclusion: Based on strong agreement between experts, we produced 13 recommendations to guide the choice of operating theatre attire.

Keywords: Dress code; Environmental impact; Guidelines; Operating theatre; Risk of infection.