Environment of Care (EC) (Critical Access Hospitals / Critical Access Hospitals)
Operating Room - Temperature
Publish | January 01, 0001
Can temperatures be outside of established range in operating rooms?
Standard EC.02.06.05 allows the organization to use its state licensing rules or the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities that were in place at the time of construction to comply with the requirements of EC.02.05.01 and EC.02.06.01. The organization would have to check their licensing rules to determine their criteria and whether retroactive compliance is allowed. Some ventilation tables allow for temperature levels in operating rooms to be out of the required range based upon the requirements of the surgeon and the surgical procedure being performed. ASHRAE 170-2008, Ventilation Table 7-1, adopted by the 2010 FGI, has an allowance to exceed minimum ranges. If this exception is used, it is acceptable for it to be done by established policy, without the requirement to log the issue. If the temperature is set below the established range, then there needs to be an assessment that patient care will not be compromised by the low temperature level; specifically that the low temperature will not adversely affect the relative humidity level. [EC.02.06.01]
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