J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 2 7
contribute to your infection-control efforts, so you can show a good return on
investment."
Also, when proposing the investment to value-analysis committees, Mr. Kester
suggests focusing on cost savings through greater efficiency. For example, the
system he chose takes 20 minutes to treat each room, which lets the staff cover
Although whole-room disinfection can
be a valuable tool in stopping the spread
of infection, it is by no means a cure-all.
Barbara Pennypacker, RN, vice presi-
dent of surgical services at Guthrie
Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa.,
characterizes whole-room disinfection
as "an adjunctive measure." The hospital has adopted disinfecting robots that
emit intense germicidal light to treat surfaces that might harbor multidrug-resis-
tant organisms, particularly in the ORs and patient rooms upon discharge. She
says the robots are "only one aspect of the prevention of SSIs," with others
including best practices such as standard processes for cleaning high-touch sur-
faces between cases and terminal cleaning at day's end.
"You often hear people characterize infection control efforts in terms of spot
disinfection versus whole room treatment, but it's all of it working together," says
Joel Sklar, MD, chief medical officer at Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae,
Calif. "If you take Lipitor, it doesn't mean you can have sausage and eggs for
breakfast every day. So just because you're zapping the whole room, it doesn't
mean you cut corners anywhere else.
"The point is, every step counts," he continues. "Hand hygiene counts. Proper
cleaning between cases counts. The terminal clean at the end of the day counts.
Whole-room disinfection is just the final stroke."
— Bill Donahue
EVERY STEP COUNTS
Don't Ignore the
Basics of OR Cleaning
• SECOND PASS Robots treat surface areas that staff
members might have missed during routine surface cleaning.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
