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restricted and restricted areas," reads the guideline
(osmag.net/Zyx7KJ), available for public comment until Feb. 22.
Many accused AORN of trying to ban traditional skull caps and
force OR personnel to wear bouffant caps a couple years ago. Not
true. AORN's attire guideline stated that perioperative personnel
should cover their head and ears in the OR, but it didn't specify
the type or style of head covering that should be worn.
Yet some misconstrued "cover scalp, hair and beards" with
"but not with a skull cap." The confusion likely stemmed from
AORN's rebuttal to the American College of Surgeons's (ACS)
2016 endorsement of skull caps, hailing them as "symbolic of
the surgical profession" and saying that it was acceptable for
"only a limited amount of hair" on the nape of the neck and
"modest sideburns" to be left uncovered by surgeons wearing
skull caps.
AORN challenged the ACS's tacit approval of exposing the nape of
the neck and sideburns. AORN also took umbrage with "wearing a
particular head covering based on its symbolism," saying nation-
wide practice recommendations should be evidence-based. Many
mistook that as an indictment against skull caps.
"Several types of evidence exist," AORN wrote, "that support
recommendations that perioperative personnel cover their head
and ears in the OR."
That much hasn't changed, nor has the answer to the skullcap-
or-bouffant question. The type of hair covering is still each peri-
operative team member's choice, says AORN, just as it's always
been. So long as you cover scalp, hair and beards when entering
the semi-restricted and restricted areas.
— Dan O'Connor
