Facilities Protocol for Perioperative Care

In this blog post we will explore ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170-2017, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities protocol for perioperative care areas when mechanical systems are unable to maintain relative humidity (RH) within the desired range that has been established by the facility for their specific operations.

For the purpose of this topic a humidity control event occurs when the RH is above or below the established facility RH range. At certain conditions, the RH in an operating room will drift outside the established facility RH range.

This series of posts will discuss protocols to follow in those situations, which are best agreed upon in advance to avoid the need for decision making during stressful situations. Primary consideration must be for the safety of staff and patients.