Average OR temperature

[finallyRN7, BSN]

Can anyone tell me what the average temperature is in the OR?

[sweetdreame, BSN, RN]

Average OR temp...? TOO DANG COLD!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Depends. Some surgeons absolutely hate hot ORs because they sweat like crazy. Other times, warmer ORs are necessary for patient care, such as pediatric patients, trauma patients, and in my facility, coronary bypasses done without cardiopulmonary bypass (aka beating heart).

[finallyRN7, BSN]

Rose Queen, Is it the Circulator's task to ensure the proper temperature of the room?

Also, you say the temperature depends on the procedure. For a "cool" room procedure, would you say the temp falls below 60, And for a "warmer" one above 60?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

As the unsterile team member, yes, the circulator is generally responsible for adjusting the temperature. AORN recommends temperatures between 68-72. By cold I mean around 66-67 and by warm I mean over 72. Our policy for traumas and beating heart CABG is 80.

[TraumaORnurse]

Cold! Except for Peds and trauma, our temps are adjusted based on the comfort of the surgeon & staff they are scrubbed in. Pedi rooms are always warmer. Our Trauma OR has to be at 83 degrees based I trauma guidelines. Once the patient is stable and the surgeon & anesthesia agree, we can turn the temp down.

For any case over 30-45 minutes we use a bair hugger to keep the patient warm throughout. Long cases for Peds under 3 yrs, we also use a heating lamp. Our Anesthesia are very good about monitoring temps and have refused to allow the temp to be turned down, even if it's a surgeon request.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

Not cold enough! Depends on which position you are in. If I'm scrubbed I'm usually sweating. The lowest we can get ours is 66 and the humidity has to be between 40-60.

[OwlieO.O]

I would need to it be cold. Heat flares my dyspnea.

[melosa08]

68-73°F with the humidity between 30-60% is standard. Depending on the individual case and hospital policy, those numbers will vary.

[finallyRN7, BSN]

Finally someone responded with numbers. 68-73 doesn't sound bad at all. I thought some of the comments were alluding towards the low 60's..now that would be too cold for me to work in, but 68-73 is quite doable. Thanks guys! ;-)

[TraumaORnurse]

I'd love to be in an OR with the temp in the low 70's. At the surgery center I work at PRN, typical OR temp is 66-67. At the hospital it's often cooler than that, especially in the ortho rooms because surgeons are wearing xray lead under their gowns & burn up. By the end of a long ortho case, I've got the room temp down to 60 and they're still sweating half to death, while I'm shivering and my Anesthesiologist is wrapped in a warm blanket. Thank goodness for the bair hugger keeping the patient warm!

[MadpeysRN]

If it's above 65, I'm sweating like a pig on a rotisserie..