Thank you to my VCU colleague, Dr. Michelle Doll, for the slide above, which she will use in an upcoming VCU Surgery Grand Rounds.
Not all guidance makes people happy. There are many disgruntled surgeons when it comes to surgical attire policy. Much of current policy is dictated by regulatory agencies and based on flimsy data. Here is a link from a cardiology discussion which challenges appropriate attire in the catheter lab. Heated to say the least.
Much of what we do in Medicine is based on poor evidence. Do not let anyone fool you.
The goal is to relentlessly pursue 'the safety sweet spot" that balances evidence and feasibility so as to play out in the real world. This is summarized in the diagram above.
We have attempted to do that, in our expert guidance paper on infection prevention in the operating room anesthesia work area, published here.
The document is not perfect but at least it is a reasonable start.
