Submitted by: Greg Garner

Just like in any profession, surgeons and auxiliary medical personnel have to follow certain guidelines, in order to ensure that things run smoothly in the operating room. Below are the top 5 operating room (OR) protocols you should know about.

Asepsis and infection control. The term asepsis means the absence of germs or any other infectious agents. Asepsis techniques are of vital importance during surgery, because anything that comes in contact with a wound, such as surgical instruments or doctor s gloves, has to be as sterile as possible so as to protect the wellbeing of the patient. In order to maintain asepsis in the operating room, as well as the sterility of all instruments and equipment used, the surgical team has to work together. Each member of the medical personnel has to do their part in making sure that anything used in the operating room is as germ-free as possible.

Preparation of the OR. For any surgery to run smoothly, the operating room has to be ready ahead of time. This procedure usually starts first thing in the morning, when a person in charge checks the operating schedule to see what surgeries will be done that day. The preparation of the OR includes damp dusting the room, setting up the equipment, and checking surgical devices and lights to see if they function properly. The person or persons in charged with this has to thoroughly wash their hands and wear appropriate protective equipment before entering the OR.

Draping the patient. This is a crucial step in any surgery, and it consists of covering the patient, the operating table, and the surrounding areas with drapes called sterile fields. These drapes can be made out of plastic and paper, which are disposable, or they can be muslin drapes, which can be reused.

Preparation for procedure. This step involves setting the operating table to the right height, adjusting the lights above the patient, arranging the instruments according to the surgeon s needs and preferences, and cleaning the patient s exposed body areas with a sterile solution. Also a part of preparing the procedure is the induction of the patient, or better said, putting him or her under anesthesia. This is performed by the anesthesiologist, either in a special room, or in the very place where the surgery will take place.

Perfect team work. For any surgery to go according to plan, surgical team members have to cooperate with each other. For example, the nurse has to assist the surgeon by tying their gown, opening the package contain the gloves, pouring sterile solutions, and handing knife blades, suture materials and so on. In case there is more than one surgeon operating, they have to divide the tasks. One can make the incision and the other can suture the wounds. It is equally important that throughout the surgical intervention, the surgeon and the anesthesiologist are in constant communication, in case any problem arises.

These 5 OR protocols are the most important procedures needed to be followed in case of any surgical intervention.

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