The use of a novel technology to study dynamics of pathogen transmission in the operating room.

Abstract

Pathogenic organisms have been found in the intraoperative environment, potentially posing a risk of infection that could cause morbidity and mortality. In an effort to understand how a patient's bacteria can be spread throughout the operating room with the anesthesia provider as a vector, we conducted a study using recently developed experimental technology in a simulated operating room environment with a high-fidelity human patient simulator.