Safety of a clean air storage hood for ophthalmic instruments in the operating room.

PURPOSE

Evaluation of the safety of a laminar flow clean air hood for the sterile storage of ophthalmic instruments in an operating room.

METHODS

A ten-year retrospective study of 10,524 surgical procedures performed with instruments stored in a clean air hood was conducted at the Mayo Clinic. Cases of postoperative endophthalmitis were identified through review of the diagnostic indices maintained by the ophthalmology department and the institution and through review of individual patient records.

RESULTS

The incidence of endophthalmitis in surgical cases in which instruments stored in a clean air hood were used was 0.076% (eight of 10,524 cases). No clusters of infection were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of a laminar flow clean air hood provides access to surgical instruments in a high-volume operating room without exposing patients to an increased risk of endophthalmitis.