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tant raises microbial removal to 95%.
Yes, this matches the efficacy of microfiber plus disinfectant, but there
are further rationales for choosing the microfiber route. First, microfibers
are thin yet densely constructed and positively charged, so they attract
dust and can be wet with disinfectants while remaining absorbent. Second,
the main advantage of using a microfiber system is that the pads are singleuse, so you don't risk transferring microorganisms to other rooms.
If you do stick with traditional cotton-loop mops, it's important that you
decontaminate them regularly "to prevent surface contamination during
cleaning with subsequent transfer of organisms from these surfaces to
patients or equipment by the hands of healthcare workers."3
4. Which of the following statements is correct about the use of disinfectant wipes?
a. use each wipe only once
b. use each side of the wipe only once
c. neither
d. both a. and b.
d. both a and b. Disinfectant wipes are a wonderful tool for surface cleaning in
your surgical department, but if you don't use them properly, you may actually be doing harm. Researchers at the University of Cardiff (Wales), have
found that antimicrobial-impregnated wipes actually have the potential to
spread microorganisms and cross-contaminate surfaces.4 They determined
that microorganisms can live on wipes long enough to make it to the next surO C T O B E R 2012 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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