gms | German Medical Science

Purpose: To evaluate the air particle count in a surgical-sterile room (required by German regulations), which is equipped with a laminar air flow system (SurgiCube) to perform intravitreal injections on a daily basis.

Methods: The air particle counts were accessed by a 6-channel particle counter with the efficiency of 100% for particles of over 0,45 micrometers size. The measurements were carried out in the presence of medical personnel during ocular interventions in an intravitreal injections room (IVIR) supplied by the SurgiCube laminar air flow system. The particle count was repeated minimum three times per medical intervention at different positions around the surgical field. The surgeon is required to wear a mask and the intravitreal injection needs to be done with draping of the eye, a lid speculum and the usage of povidone-iodine.

Results: Within two days 36 patients (24 women, 12 men, 36 eyes) of the mean age of 75 years received an intravitreal injection in IVIR. The mean temperature was 21,9 degrees Celsius and the mean relative humidity equaled 51,6%. The maximal recorded air particle counts equaled eight, five and six for the particles of 2,5µm, 5,0µm and 10,0µm size consecutively. The minimal recorded particle counts equaled two for the size of 2,5µm, 5,0µm and 10,0µm. The mean particle levels above the surgical filed equaled four, two and two for the particles of 2,5µm, 5,0µm and 10,0µm size consecutively.

Conclusions: Our data indicated that IVIR with the SurgiCube system presents low air particle counts, which were associated with no postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis since its initiation 12 months ago.