OPBereich

OPBereich is a German term for the hospital region designated for surgical procedures and the surrounding zones needed for preparation, sterile handling, and perioperative care. It includes the operating room (OP-Saal) and adjacent areas such as scrub rooms, instrument prep, and the immediate recovery zone.

Origin and use: The term combines OP (Operation) and Bereich (area). In German hospital practice, OPBereich refers to the entire surgical suite and its logistics; English texts may use operating room complex or surgical suite.

Components and layout: A typical OPBereich includes the OP-Saal, anesthesia workstation, sterile instrument storage and prep areas, scrub area, and recovery/PACU. Access is tightly controlled to maintain sterility, with clean-to-clean transitions designed to minimize contamination.

Safety and standards: Core principles are sterile technique, infection prevention, and controlled air quality with appropriate ventilation and pressure differentials. Instrument processing, disinfection, waste management, and staff hygiene are governed by hospital protocols and applicable regulations.

Workflow: Patient transport from preoperative areas to the OP-Saal, surgical safety checks, time-out procedures, intraoperative monitoring, and postoperative transfer to PACU. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, scrub nurses, and circulating nurses coordinate to maintain safety and efficiency.

Design and governance: Planning emphasizes separation of clean and dirty zones, dedicated corridors for patient movement, and ease of cleaning, with compliance to architectural and healthcare facility standards to support safety and infection control.

See also: Operating room; Infection control; Sterile processing department; Hospital architecture.