Disinfecting the Surgical Rooms
The surgical rooms need to to be disinfected and cleaned rigorously. The disinfection of the operating room and the sterilization of the instruments are extremely important. It is imperative that the surgical rooms, instruments and associated devices are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in order to prevent the spreading of hospital acquired infections caused by viruses, germs and bacteria. If the surgical rooms are not cleaned properly, then the proliferation of the pathogens can prove to devastating and badly impact the patient outcome. Continue reading to know when and how you should disinfect the surgical rooms.
Damp Dusting in the Morning
The nursing staff ought to carry out damp dusting in the morning. The main purpose of damp dusting is to remove dirt from all the horizontal and vertical surfaces that might have settled during the night. Dirt is a medium in which certain kinds of pathogens thrive. Therefore, it is extremely important to get rid of dirt first thing after the crack of dawn. Moisten a clean cloth with disinfectant and clean the surfaces from top to bottom before the other surgical equipment is brought into the room.
End of Procedure Disinfecting and Cleaning
The end of procedure disinfection and cleaning shall not be overlooked in any case. The patients deserve a safe and hygienic environment in the surgical room. Disinfection at this level means that the germs do not transfer from one patient to the next. The cleaning and disinfection has to be executed throughout the day as surgeries are performed on different people.
Cleaning and Disinfection at the End of the Day
The aforementioned cleaning and disinfection ought to be carried out once again when the last surgery of the day has been performed. The cleaning ought to begin after the surgical room has be evacuated by the patient. The cleaning staff should wear appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) according to the OSHA requirements.
Why Cleaning is Required before the Disinfection?
It is important to clean the visible soil and dirt from the floor and objects before disinfection is done. This is because dirt, blood and other body fluids and act as a shield or a barrier between the germs and the disinfectant. The disinfectant will not work efficiently if it has to penetrate through all the excessive layers and biofilms to eliminate the pathogens from the surgical environment. There floor surface and the edges also have to be cleaned. The center floor must be given special attention as this is where the surgery happens and has a higher probability of being dirty and contaminated.
Inside the surgical room the following ought to be cleaned and disinfected:
- Monitoring devices
- IV pumps and poles
- Instruments
- Anesthesia carts and machines
- Telephones and lights
- Furniture
- Trash
- Mayo and ring and stands
- Electrosurgical units, medical gas gauges and other fixed or mobile equipment
- Keyboards
- Door handles
- Patient transfer beds and straps
- Arm boards
- Instruments
Extra Hands Services, Inc. provides medical cleaning facilities in order to give a safe and healthy environment to the patients. Healthcare sector has to meet stringent regulatory standards of hygiene and cleaning. Therefore, Extra Hands ascertains that the disinfection techniques and specialized products fulfill these requirements.