A plenum chamber type ventilating system which produces a column of clean filtered air in an orthopaedic operating theatre has been designed using conventional air conditioning equipment. Its performance has been evaluated by carrying out smoke studies, and air velocity studies, and its cleanliness evaluated by bacteriological sampling. Two hundred and fifty operations involving implants have been conducted since this system has been installed, and the infection has been zero. This paper reports on the performance of this low cost ventilating system.
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