Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/124399
S U R F A C E D I S I N F E C T I O N tal services' role in keeping KEYS TO CLEAN Non-critical surfaces don't need to be sterilized, but as high-touch surfaces, they can still cross-contaminate. infection rates in check, and suggest opportunities for improvement in practice or "./ - /& ". #+- *#" /&+* +*/-+( staffing. Detecting what you can't see 8 +- &.&*#" /&*$ 0" " !6 1, 0" /, ! 0-" 1/2* ,/& &!" 2/# " &0&+#" 1 +1 )" +"/ ,)21&,+ +&1&7"0 &+ ." +*!. +! 1"/*&+ ))6 !&0&+#" 10 ".2&-*"+1 &+ )2!&+$ )&$%10 1 )"0 #),,/0 +"01%"0& * %&+"0 -2*-0 ".2&-*"+1 +! "+3&/,+*"+1 ) 02/# "0 &+ )&*0/". /"$&01"/"! +! --/,3"! #,/ 02/$& ) "+1"/0 6 )) 01 1"0 ""10 +! 01 +! /!0 "*,3"0 /"0&!2 ) 0,&) &+ )2!&+$ +,+ ,/$ +& +! ,/$ +& 0,&) &+ )2!&+$ "))2) / !" /&0 ,!&)6 #)2&!0 +! ,1%"/ !" /&0 " 3"0 0- /()&+$ )" + 02/# " 1&)&7"0 +, !201&+$ +, *&01&+$ +! +,+ "/,0,)&7&+$ 0-/ 6"/ )),40 .2& ( +! 1%/,2$% --)& 1&,+ 0 #")6 #,/ 0 --/,3"! #,/ 20" 4&1% *& /,#& "/ ),1%0 +! *,-0 High-touch areas such as OR tabletops, stands, door handles, stretcher side-rails, over-bed tables and other equipment and fixtures in the clinical environment typically only make contact with intact skin. They don't tend to touch mucous membranes or penetrate the skin, so they're not a huge risk for transmitting healthcare-associated infections. As a result, they're considered non-critical surfaces in the spectrum of disinfection and sterilization requirements. That doesn't exempt them from cleaning against the possibility of cross-contamination between patients and staff, though. While the CDC's "Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities" admits there's not much data to back up surface disinfection's effect on infection rates, the agency and OSHA advise the 2 3 SUPPLEMENT TO cleaning and disinfection of potentially contaminated surfaces. Visual observations wouldn't detect surface contaminants, measure disinfection's effectiveness, or give you hard facts to act on. To conduct your QI study, consider a technological solution to help you detect what's invisible to the eye. Several detec- 2 +- " +*/ )&* /&+* + " $ &+ " !6 1, 0" ,/& &!" 0-# " &.&*#" / */ (" *"&0 1%" "01 %,& " 1, -/" 1/" 1 &+01/2*"+10 --/,3"! 1, --)6 !&/" 1)6 ,+1, ,+1 *&+ 1"! &+01/2*"+10 -/&,/ 1, 0"+!&+$ 1%"* 1, 1%" /"-/, "00&+$ /" ")-0 -/,1" 1 1%" 01 ## &+ 0" ,# &+'2/6 4%&)" % +!)&+$ !2/&+$ 1%" )" +&+$ +! - ( $&+$ 01"-0 6 /"!2 &+$ 1%" *& /, & ) ), ! 1% 1 01 ## *"* "/0 /" "5-,0"! 1, )0, -/,1" 10 1%" &+01/2*"+1 )&#" ""-0 &+01/2*"+10 4"1 +! -/"3"+10 ),,! +! ,1%"/ 0,&)0 #/,* !/6&+$ &*-)6 -) " 1%" &1"*0 &+1, + --/,-/& 1" ,+1 &+"/ 0-/ 6 ,3"/ +! 1/ +0-,/1 + ,-" (" * *! !" +*/ )&* /" . +,". '201 !! ,21 ,2+ "0 ,# -1& &!" &+1, 0* )) 0&+ 20&+$ #/"0% 0-,+$" 0&*-)6 !&- 1%" 0-,+$" 0.2""7" +! 4&-" 1%" 0 ,-" 02/# " )" + ,)),4 6 02 1&,+&+$ 1%" /"* &+!"/ ,# 1%" 0,)21&,+ 1%/,2$% 1%" 0 ,-" % ++")0 &+1, 1%" 02 1&,+ ' / / +0-,/1 +! /"-/, "00 0 202 ) tion systems on the market can assist on this front — each with its own pros and cons, so trialing is essential to making a choice that will work in your facility and perioperative process. 2 +- +," &.&*#" /&+* &*" -/,3"+ $)21 / )!"%6!" & -+ &!" &0 % +$" ,21 ,+ " *,+1% /"20" %&$% )"3") !&0&+#" 1&,+ +! 01"/&)&7 1&,+ 0,)21&,+ --/,3"! #,/ * +2 ) /"-/, "00&+$ ,# *"!& ) 02/$& ) &+01/2*"+1 1&,+ &+ )2!&+$ #)"5& )" "+!,0 ,-"0 0-" 2)2*0 -/, "0 +! ,1%"/ %" 1 0"+0&1&3" &+01/2*"+1 1&,+ 4&1% # 01 *&+21" 0, ( 1&*" 1% 1 )),40 #,/ .2& ( 12/+ /,2+! ""1 +! 1"01&+$ /".2&/"*"+10 20&+$ 1%" +"4 &0 0" ,+! 1"01 01/&- 1, *,+&1,/ 1%" 0,)21&,+0 "##" 1&3"+"00 "14""+ 20"0 One of the systems we trialed involved swabbing a site before it was cleaned, then returning afterward with an ultraviolet light to examine the area that was swabbed and assess the thoroughness of O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E | M AY 2013 +- *+ +./ . ),(". /" %*& ( *! ,-+!0 / &*#+-) /&+* (( & -+ &"*/&#& / /+(( #-"" %"* ((&*$ .' +0/ /%" *"1 & -+ (""* ,""! +, '