These guidelines were produced for a UK audience by consensus of a Working Party with expertise in a wide variety of aspects of operating theatre ventilation related to infection prevention. Official UK guidance, existing guidelines, the scientific literature and experience from a range of specialties have informed these recommendations.

A hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team should be an integral part of the design of new or upgraded operating theatres and, before first use, validate that they are fit for their intended purpose. The IPC team also has a role thereafter in assessing a theatre’s periodic verification, confirming that it remains fit for purpose. The majority of this assessment would be conducted via IPC team representation on the hospital’s multi-disciplinary Ventilation Safety Group or a similar group.

These HIS guidelines are intended to inform IPC professionals how the IPC team can be productively involved in these processes. While the guidance is primarily focussed on the UK, the principles will be relevant to IPC teams in other countries.

The guidelines discuss whether, how and when to carry out microbiological air sampling, and how to approach perceived ventilation inadequacies that may be relevant to infection prevention. These guidelines aim to improve the safety of patients and staff in operating theatres and their adjacent environs.