tion systems to be
turned on. The 2 most
common systems use
either vaporized
hydrogen peroxide or
ultraviolet lights.
Hydrogen peroxide
systems are not prac-
tical for the perioper-
ative environment
due to the need for
"airing the room"
after use of the appa-
ratus. Ultraviolet
lights are becoming
more "user-friendly"
in operating rooms as
companies design
systems to better
accommodate this
setting. The idea of using UV lights is catching on in the surgical
world and I'm watching this technology evolve with promising
results.
6
After traditional cleaning, should you
use an ultraviolet light or other whole room
disinfection system between cases?
The answer at present is probably not, but companies are creating
shorter-acting whole room models designed for room turnover.
Several surgery centers have asked me about use of UV lights as a
3 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7
• NO SKIPPED SURFACES Even if a surface wasn't physically touched during a
case, you should still disinfect it during room turnover.
