T
he fight to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) starts
before the patient comes into the room. Surface disinfec-
tion between patients will help to prevent cross-contami-
nation between patients and staff. We all know that
before disinfecting, you have to remove any visible
residue, such as blood, loose dirt, debris, bodily fluids and other
potentially infectious materials (also referred to on some product
labels as "gross filth"). That's a given, I hope, along with using appro-
7 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6
Practical Pearls for
Surface Disinfection
• KILL TIME When using disinfectant wipes, often multiple wipes will be required to keep the surface wet for the entire kill time.
Deploy the proper cleaning agents to eradicate
infective agents on your surfaces.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
Thomas Durick, MD
Oakland, Calif.
