A
s more ambulatory surgical centers perform more complex
procedures, we've had to contend with high-profile cases of
surgical site infections and defend the perception that ASCs in
particular struggle to maintain compliance with infection control
requirements. Adding fuel to this fire is a September 2019 Office of
Inspector General (OIG) report (osmag.net/9rZDxR) that includes this
indictment: "Outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections have raised
concerns about patient health and safety at ASCs." State surveyors
cited 55% of non-deemed ASCs with one or more infection control
deficiencies in the ASCs' most recent certification surveys, says the
OIG report, which went on to call on state regulators to conduct more
frequent inspections of ASCs so such occurrences don't continue
unabated. With that as a backdrop, here are 4 things
you can do to practice great infection prevention so
you don't get dinged the next time a state survey-
or pays your facility a visit.
Stay up to date on guidelines. One of the
things we find at all kinds of surgical facili-
ties, but especially at ASCs, is that they don't
have copies of the most up-to-date stan-
dards and guidelines on hand for clean-
ing and sterilization, environmental
cleaning and other areas of infection
prevention. This is a huge detriment,
because each time those guidelines are
updated, it's an opportunity for all of us
1
4 Ways to Wipe Away Surgical Site Infections
Follow this practical advice to ward off the threat of SSIs at your facility.
Infection Prevention
Natalie Lind, CRCST, CHL, FCS
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