Here is the latest evidence of forced-air warming units contaminating the operating room by overcoming protective laminar flow ventilation. The room temperature tracer particles and bubbles are neutrally buoyant, which is to say they follow the air currents of the room. When forced-air warming units dump 900 watts of waste heat into the operating room, it is [...]

Common Question: “My OR doesn’t use laminar flow. Does waste hot air still matter?” Answer: Absolutely. Consider the following: What is laminar ventilation and what is conventional ventilation? Operating room air is typically introduced from the ceiling, moves towards the floor, and exits through the side vents. US standards for hospital construction require that operating room ventilation [...]