Recommended practices for surgical attire

AORN Journal, Feb, 2005

GLOSSARY

ARTIFICIAL NAILS: Substances or devices applied or added to the natural nails to augment or enhance the wearer's own nails. They include, but are not limited to, bonding, tips, wrappings, and tapes.

CLEANING: The physical removal of soil or organic material using water or mechanical action with or without detergent; cleaning removes rather than kills microorganisms.

CONTAMINATED: The presence of pathogenic organisms (eg, blood, other potentially infectious material) on or in the material.

COVER GOWN: A garment, such as a laboratory coat, gown, or jacket, worn over surgical attire to prevent contamination.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT: Personal protective equipment for standard precautions includes intact gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection (eg, face shields, goggles, glasses with side shields).

SCRUB ATTIRE: Additional sterile clothing worn to cover the surgical attire to present sterile boundaries during a sterile invasive procedure.

SCURF: A branlike desquamation of the epidermis.

SURGICAL ATTIRE: Nonsterile apparel designated for the OR practice setting that includes two-piece pantsuits, cover jackets, head coverings, shoes, masks, protective eyewear, and other protective barriers.

SOILED: Worn or dirty, especially on the surface. Smirched or stained by body perspiration, body oils, or other substances.

RESTRICTED AREA: Includes the OR and procedure room, the clean core, and scrub sink areas. People in this area are required to wear full surgical attire and cover all head and facial hair, including sideburns, beards, and necklines.

SEMIRESTRICTED AREA: Includes the peripheral support areas of the surgical suite and has storage areas for sterile and clean supplies, work areas for storage and processing of instruments, and corridors leading to the restricted areas of the surgical suite.

UNRESTRICTED AREA: Includes a central point that is established to monitor the entrance of patients, personnel, and materials. Street clothes are permitted in this area, and traffic is not limited.

NOTES

(1.) D Fogg, "Infection prevention and control" in Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery, 12th ed, J C Rothrock, ed (St Louis: Mosby, 2003) 134-147.

(2.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection, 1999," Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 20 (April 1999) 250-278.

(3.) N L Belkin, "Use of scrubs and related apparel in health care facilities," American Journal of Infection Control 25 (October 1997) 401-404.

(4.) "Safe handling and biological decontamination of reusable medical devices in health care facilities and in nonclinical settings," ANSI/AAMI ST35:2003 (Arlington, Va: Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, 2003) 11-12; 51-57.

(5.) B M Anderson, N Solheim, "Occlusive scrub suits in operating theaters during cataract surgery: Effect on airborne contamination," Infection Control Hospital Epidemiology 23 (April 2002) 218-220.

(6.) "Regulations (Standards 29 CFR) Bloodborne pathogens--1910-1030," US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, http://www.osha-slc.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document? p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10051 (accessed 22 May 2004) 15-16.