Operating Room Temperature And Humidity Requirements

Currently ashrae ashe standard 170 2017 ventilation of health care facilities defines the minimum relative humidity rh level for an operating room as 20 and the maximum level as 60.

Operating room temperature and humidity requirements.

To acutely decrease the rh level of an operating room one can either remove water vapor or increase temperature it is unlikely that one would increase the atmospheric pressure. Access to this content requires a subscription. Proper ventilation humidity 68 and temperature control in the operating room is important for the comfort of surgical personnel and patients but also in preventing environmental conditions that encourage growth and transmission of microorganisms. Health care facilities should consider the effects on equipment and or supplies before reducing operating room relative humidity below 30 percent.

Each operating room should have separate temperature control. For joint commission their standard ec 02 05 01 ep 15 says in critical care areas i e. Percent or less as excessive humidity is conducive to microbial growth and compromises the integrity of wrapped sterile instruments and supplies. 355 operating rooms should be maintained at positive pressure with respect to corridors and.

Cold operating rooms have a higher rh than do warm operating rooms with the same absolute humidity figure 1. Many supplies can be used outside of the minimum humidity requirements but should not be stored for long periods in low humidity conditions. Humidity and temperature from a single or over 2 months. Acceptable standards such as from the association of operating room nurses aorn or the facilities guidelines institute.

What are the recommended humidity ranges for an operating room. Staging of sterile items outside of procedure room like an operating room for a limited period of time would also apply. For example if a room is 68 f with 60 relative humidity within parameter range and you drop the temperature to 64 f the relative humidity will rise to 68 out of parameter range. What are the requirements for temperature and humidity monitoring in areas in which sterile supplies are stored.

While published guidelines are applicable to all. Operating rooms have visual alerts in a central location when the or air temperature or humidity is out of the parameter range but these alerts are on. Share this advisory with your chief operating. The design requirements for these parameters in healhtcare settings are defined by ashrae standard 170 and are generally straightforward however or operating room users often try to operate or hvac heating ventilating and air conditioning systems at temperatures and humidity levels.