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/236454
Page 91 I N F E C T I O N P R E V E N T I O N BEATING THE BUGS Tips for More Effective Surface Disinfection • Don't assume all disinfectants are the same. Read labels and instructions carefully. For example, phenolic disinfectants should never be used on any equipment that comes into contact with mucous membranes. Quaternary ammonium compounds, on the other hand, can harm computer screens and other sensitive equipment. • Keep disinfectants free from contamination. Follow dilution instructions carefully, including instructions to not dilute. Ensure that the water used for diluting isn't contaminated, that mixing containers are disinfected and that the area used to prepare solutions is clean. And finally, store solutions according to label instructions, for example, in a cool, dry place. • Look for products that require shorter contact times. Some products recommend 10 minutes of contact time. That's probably unrealistic for a couple of reasons. First, that's a long time to wait in a busy facility. Second, most products air dry within a minute or 2. Do you want to reapply something 5 or 6 times? Recent evidence suggests that maximum microbial kill occurs in the first minute, and fortunately, more and more products now recommend only a minute or 2 of contact time. • Three swipes and bacteria's out. Recent research suggests that 3 is the optimum number of swipes for disinfectant wipes, reducing bacterial loads by 88%. Those results are better than what you get with 1 swipe, but adding a 4th and 5th doesn't help. Additionally, saline wipes were as effective as disinfectant wipes when swiped 3 times, suggesting that the mechanical act of swiping, not the disinfectant, was key. (Disinfectant wipes did do better with just 1 swipe.) • It's the final spore that counts. Some manufacturers like to brag that their products kill the vegetative form of C. diff. Unfortunately, that does you no good whatsoever. It's C. diff spores that can contaminate rooms and infect both patients and staff. The vegetative form resides in the body. Don't fall for misleading advertising. Make sure the product you use specifically kills C. diff spores. • Choose products your staff will use. Some products have overpowering odors or other qualities that tend to put staff off. When that happens, they'll avoid using them thoroughly, or sometimes at all. Make sure they know they can tell you if something offends their sensibilities. Chances are, there's a better alternative. — Jim Burger