# Operating room question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113 "2003-12-15T13:51:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/1 "2003-12-15T13:51:10Z")
Why are operating rooms (and cath labs, for that matter) so cold? ---
**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/2 "2003-12-15T14:17:22Z")
W.A.G.-to keep the staff alert,or perhaps it just feels cold because if you are a patient you are wearing a minimum of clothing,and there isn’t any warm fuzzy furniture or carpetting in there. yours, Nadahappycamper ---
**Author:** ![A\_Curious\_Writer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@A\_Curious\_Writer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Curious_Writer)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/3 "2003-12-15T14:22:11Z")
Staff alertness is important, but also, I imagine where there are things like blood being given, the cold preserves the blood or organs that are exposed for a longer period. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/4 "2003-12-15T14:34:56Z")
Ther are several considerations. Low air temperatures and slow air movement help to prevent dehydration of the patient particularly the wound site. The laminar flow ventilation systems don’t actually pump cool air - it falls from the ceiling filters straight to the floor. Also it’s pretty hot under the lights for the theatre team. I’ve only been in a few times and you don’t really feel the cold while doing things. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/5 "2003-12-15T14:41:56Z")
Ther are several considerations. Low air temperatures and slow air movement help to prevent dehydration of the patient particularly the wound site. The laminar flow ventilation systems don’t actually pump cool air - it falls from the ceiling filters straight to the floor. Also it’s pretty hot under the lights for the theatre team. I’ve only been in a few times and you don’t really feel the cold while doing things. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/6 "2003-12-15T15:32:02Z")
People tend to breath better as well (as my anesthesia tech wife confirmed). Breathing & less friendly enviro for germs. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/7 "2003-12-15T16:09:56Z")
You are also usually less well clothed while in an operating room. When a patient, for easy access to your body, as a worker you are in scrubs, which from experience are not the warmest things in the world. Comfortable yes, easy to clean, but not thick and warm. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/8 "2003-12-16T03:17:32Z")
Most operating rooms I’ve worked in have not been especially cold. The patient is usually exposed, and I’ve never seen gooseflesh, for example. The surgeons are often wearing extra gowns, etc., and I suppose they don’t to be overheated. Theoretically, if the patient had some peripheral vasoconstriction, this may help reduce bleeding at an incision. However, like I said, I don’t find ORs that frigid. ORs can be very warm places to work if operating on babies, hypothermics, etc. who require warm temperatures to have good outcomes. ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/9 "2003-12-16T16:11:27Z")
I’ve only been in on ortho proceedures and the OR was pretty normal each time (probably 68 or 66 degrees F). ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/10 "2003-12-17T01:04:40Z")
My point exactly 66-68 deg F would be pretty cold for someone in undergarments and scrubs only. They are pretty thin. If you were going outside in that weather, you’d likely have on more clothing, or be active. though I’d think that almost all the reasons stated above are probably part of it. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operating-room-question/219113/11 "2003-12-17T01:33:44Z")
The OR’s I’ve been in haven’t been particularly chilly to me, but then again, I’m always wearing a long lead apron, and those things are pretty warm in themselves.