Efficiency of Footwear and Ventilation Systems of Operating Rooms : How to Choose Suitable Shoes?

Nam, Kyung-Dong; Chung, Hye-Seon; Park, Young-Shin; Won, Jin-Hee; Ju, Mi-Ja; Seong, Hwa-Shin; Lee, Ji-Hyui; Lee, Byung-Hee; Cho, Kyung-Sook; Bae, Jae-Chun

Journal of Korean Society Quality Assurance Health Care 2000;7(1): 72.
Published online May 30, 2000.

환기정도에 따른 수술실용 신발 종류가 수술실 오염에 미치는 영향

남경동¹, 정혜선¹, 박영신¹, 원진희¹, 주미자¹, 성화신¹, 이지혜¹, 이병희¹, 조경숙², 배재춘³

¹삼성의료원 수술간호과
²경원전문대학교 간호학과
³삼성의료원 임상병리과

Efficiency of Footwear and Ventilation Systems of Operating Rooms : How to Choose Suitable Shoes?

Kyung-Dong Nam¹, Hye-Seon Chung¹, Young-Shin Park¹, Jin-Hee Won¹, Mi-Ja Ju¹, Hwa-Shin Seong¹, Ji-Hyui Lee¹, Byung-Hee Lee¹, Kyung-Sook Cho², Jae-Chun Bae³

¹Department of Nursing, Samsung Medical Center
²Department of Nursing, Kyungwon College
³Department of Clinical Pathology, Samsung Medical Center

Abstract

Background
Various types of protective footwear have been used to minimize bacterial contamination in operating rooms. In recent years, debate has arisen concerning the need for use of such protective footwear. This study was designed to provide useful data about choosing shoes most suitable for the surgical environment.
Methods
Between November, 1999 and January, 2000, we performed this experimental study by comparing effect of three types of shoes (i.e., disposable shoescover, operating room-restricted shoes, and ordinary shoes) on bacterial contamination of operating rooms equipped with two different ventilation systems (i.e., high air-change, low air-change) respectively. Data were collected during two- hour sham operations in which subjects and their activities were strictly standardized. Bacterial flora were sampled from the study area floor and air colony counts were measured.
Results
In experiments involving high air-change ventilation system, there was a significant difference of floor contamination between three types of shoes, but no difference of air contamination. Under low air-change system, there was a significant difference of both floor and air contamination between three types of shoes.
Conclusion
The results show that protective footwear would be unnecessary in the operating room with high air-change ventilation system, but it is important to choose suitable shoes carefully under low air-change system. Therefore, the use of outdoor shoes can be considered under high air-change system, but it would seem sensible to apply their first use in less bloody operations at the day surgery center or out-patient department to prevent transfer of body fluid into the outside environment.

Key words Operating room;Shoes;Ventilation;Contamination;