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O R
H Y G I E N E
but it's time well spent,"
says Ms. Almquist, adding
that "we're not using it for
between-case cleaning, so
we're not holding up the
schedule."
Geisinger uses the
machines in its 5 hospitals
either for selected
between-case cleaning and
on at least weekly terminal
OR cleans. "We work
closely with infection control," says Ms. Almquist.
"They'll tell us if they
know of an area we should
use the machine in, such
GERM-BUSTERS Portable UV light disinfection
as an isolation room after devices destroy viruses, bacteria and bacterial
spores in a patient or operating room without requirdischarge." A terminal
ing the use of chemicals.
clean in the OR takes place
after 11 p.m. "It hits all of the things that don't typically get disinfected
all of the time," says Ms. Almquist, before ticking off the oft-neglected
high-touch surfaces: door knobs, overhead lamps, OR table controls,
light handles, computer keyboards, IV poles, patient warming units,
controls on the anesthesia equipment, cautery power controls and the
Mayo stands.
The Medical Center of Central Georgia, a 637-bed hospital located in
Macon, Ga., has 5 UV disinfection systems: 2 are dedicated to operating
rooms while 3 rotate among patient rooms. "We have experienced
major savings due to the reduction in overall infections," says Nancy
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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 | D E C E M B E R 2013
