Theatre design
Operating theatres should be sited near
surgical wards and the main lifts, and they should be within easy access of the
accident and emergency department and X-ray department; ideally the intensive
therapy unit (ITU) and anaesthetic office should be close by.
Principles in
design
The operating suite should include the
following areas.
1.
An outer reception area including:
• the reception bay for
patients to wait after checking in, for which there should be soft lighting and
gentle music;
• an area for storage of
trolleys;
• an area for hanging of
clean gowns and overshoes for parents to wear when accompanying children to the
anaesthetic room.
• the recovery bay;
• the clean storage area;
• the emergency autoclave;
• staff relaxation
rooms/changing rooms;
• a storage area for large
equipment including X-ray image intensifiers, etc.
• Laminar airflow is
important in maintaining theatre asepsis; most theatres have between 20 and 40
air changes per hour, with the air being pumped in through filters in the
ceiling and exiting through ventilation
flaps
adjacent to the floor. Humidity and air control are important both for patient
safety and for staff comfort (a hot humid atmosphere leads to a reduction in concentration
and performance by the operating surgeons).
• The operating theatres,
recovery rooms and anaesthetic rooms must always be designed to have adequate
power points, emergency electricity; piped gases, anaesthetic scavenging
systems, ancillary lighting and wall suction. Cardiac resuscitation equipment
must be readily available.
• Of considerable
importance are the proper location of telephones and the use of internal vacuum
tubes for the transportation of samples and specimens.