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/703764
keeper, or does it require specialized training? Addition, not a replacement The extent to which whole-room disinfection systems can reduce the incidence of surgical site infections has not been conclusively demon- strated by evidence-based studies. None of the systems are designed to replace manual cleaning, so your staff is stuck with wiping and mopping. Many of the technologies also take more time than manual cleaning does, and in addition require staff to vacate the rooms being treated while the disinfection process is underway. Since these factors may put an OR out of commission for several hours, whole-room disinfection isn't gener- ally used for routine between-case turnovers, though end-of-the-day ter- minal cleanings have surely benefited from it. Each system's disinfectant agent and its mechanism of action require specific preparations to achieve optimal results, and in one case (hydro- gen peroxide vapor) to ensure employee and patient safety. A room's size and shape, the layout of its equipment and fixtures, and the reflectivity of its surfaces can all impact effectiveness. Ultraviolet light units, for example, kill the microbes on all the surfaces they illuminate. Since this method's effectiveness may be compromised by shadows that occlude a surface or a surface's distance from the light source, the units must be positioned precisely in a room, and perhaps repositioned for a second or third cycle in order to sufficiently illuminate all the surfaces, unless multiple units are used. In contrast, hydrogen peroxide vapor methods disperse uniformly to sterilize every single solitary surface in a room, without shadows. Some users open cabinets, drawers and closets before activating a hydrogen peroxide unit. However, since the vapor irritates the eyes, nose and throat, staff must seal up the doors and ventilation systems of rooms in which it is operating until its cycle is complete. 1 0 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 1 6