Observational study of sterile field bioburden levels during orthopedic arthroplasty surgery in operating rooms complying with current United States ventilation specifications.

Background: Airborne contamination from microbe carrying particles (MCPs) is a risk factor for devastating early onset periprosthetic joint infection(PJIs). There are no published guidelines to quantify this risk factor for PJI events. This observational cohort project addresses this gap and utilizes a simple passive system to produce quantitative data from 80 total joint replacement cases performed in operating rooms built to current USA standards.

A Clinical Test to Measure Airborne Microbial Contamination on the Sterile Field During Total Joint Replacement: Method, Reference Values, and Pilot Study.

Background: Airborne microbe-carrying particles in the operating-room environment during total joint replacement are a risk factor for periprosthetic joint infection. The present study focuses on a simple environmental test, based on practices used in aseptic cleanrooms, to quantify the deposition of microbe-carrying particles onto the sterile field.

Methods: Settle plates are exposed Petri dishes.