Evidence-based guidelines on infection prevention and control in operation theatres for anesthetists in a resource-limited setting: systematic review/meta-analysis

Surgical site infections and nosocomial infections are the most frequent source of prolonged hospital stay and cross-contamination of infection in the operating room. Despite the perception, the operating rooms are not sterile environments as it has sterile and nonsterile areas, as well as sterile and nonsterile personnel. The contaminated environment, like the anesthesia environment, is the most potent transmission vehicle for pathogens. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to develop evidence-based guidelines on infection prevention and control in operation theaters for anesthesia care providers in a resource-limited setting. METHODOLOGY: This review is reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Articles published in the English language were searched from different sources to identify studies for the review using the keywords. Database search was done by using Boolean operators like AND, OR, NOT, or AND NOT from Cochrane review, Hinari, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Medline databases, and filtering was made based on the intervention, outcome, data on population, and methodological quality. The conclusion was made based on the level of evidence that was referred to by the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. RESULTS: Generally, 1672 articles were identified through database searching strategies. Articles were searched by filtering systems such as publication year, level of evidence, and duplicates that were unrelated to the topics. Finally, 20 articles (9 randomized controlled trials, 4 meta-analyses and systematic reviews, 4 reviews, and 3 observational studies) were identified by using keywords from different databases by different search strategies from 10 July to 14 August 2022. CONCLUSION: As primary patient patrols anesthetists face significant infection risk and also contaminate the operating room environment. Precautions that are practical, affordable, and efficient in the anesthesia setting are needed considering the limited availability of personal protective equipment.