BIO-SAFETY IN OPERATION THEATRES Dr.T.V.Rao MD

Key Recommendations of CDC and HICPAC

• Ventilation and water system performance

• Multidisciplinary risk assessment team• Use of dust control procedures during

construction, repair, renovation or demolition

• Environmental surface cleaning and disinfection strategies geared towards antimicrobial resistant organisms

Regulate the Operating Room Environment

• Ventilation = positive pressure. – Variable air systems

(positive pressure only) – Air introduced at the

ceiling and exhausted near the floor

• Humidity <68%• Temperature control

Can we Sterilize Operation theatre

• Sterilization means eradicating germs completely, which is not 100% possible in an operating theatre. The sources of bacterial contamination are from air and the environment, infected body fluids, patients, articles, or equipment.

Follow the Standard protocols

• Standard cleaning, disinfection with appropriate chemical agents, good theatre practice and discipline can provide a microbiologically safe environment.

The following precautions have greatly reduced the rates of infection

• 1.Every hospital must establish an infection control committee to monitor the events in the hospital on all matters related to the control of infections.

• 2. The entry of unnecessary personnel should be restricted into operation theatres as everyone potentially contributes to infection.

A good hand washing and Monitoring reduces infections

• 3 A thorough washing with warm water and good detergent can bring more of an overall improvement than solely decontamination sterilization with other chemicals,or fumigation.

• 4. Frequent monitoring and training of medical and paramedical staff must carry a high priority – don’t merely observe mechanical and chemical methods.

Hand washing a boon to safety

• Thorough washing and carbonizations, if done every day after the surgeries, will greatly enhance the safety standards and reduce the repeated expenditure on fumigation.

Regulate the Operating Room Environment

Minimize personnel traffic during operations

Surgical Attire• Scrub suits • Cap/hoods• Shoe covers• Masks• Gloves • Gowns

Surgeon and Skills• Technical skill

set– Excellent eye–

hand coordination

– Extensive medical knowledge

– Expertise in Anatomy

Surgeon Skills• Non-technical

skill set– Situation

awareness– Decision

making– Communication

and teamwork– Leadership

Cleaning and Disinfecting Environmental Surfaces

– Medical equipment surfaces knobs, handles on equipment such as x-ray machines, instrument carts

– Housekeeping surfaces floors, walls, chairs, and tabletops

Cleaning and Disinfecting

• Medical Equipment• Manufacturer’s recommendation for

sterilization–Recommended chemical germicides–Water-resistant properties–Required decontamination after servicing–Non-critical medical equipment (see

intermediate level disinfection)

Cleaning and Disinfecting

• Housekeeping Surfaces Frequent hand contact “high touch surfaces

• Doorknobs, bedrails, light switches, wall areas around the toilet, edges of privacy curtain

• Clean/disinfect more frequently

Minimal hand contact• Hard surface floors and window sills

– Clean on a regular basis, when soiled, and when patient is discharged from facility

• Walls, blinds and window curtains– Clean when visibly soiled

Cleaning

• A form of decontamination by removing organic matter, salts, and visible soils

– Physical action of scrubbing with detergents or surfactants and rinsing with water

– Necessary step prior to sterilization or disinfection

Cleaning Strategy

Minimize contamination of cleaning solutions and toolsChange cleaning solutions frequently– Replace soiled cloths and mop heads with

each cleaning solution change– Launder cloths and mop heads after use

and allow to dry before re-use or use disposable cloths and mop heads

Use manufacturers recommended concentration

Cleaning Carpeting and Cloth Furniture

Vacuum carpeting and cloth furniture on a regular basis Maintain vacuum to minimize dust dispersal by using HEPA filters Maintain wet cleaning equipment in good repair and allow to dry between uses

Note: Avoid use of carpeting and cloth furnishings in areas where spills are likely to occur

Disinfection“The process that eliminates many or all pathogenic micro-organisms on inanimate objects with the exception of bacterial spores”

Spaulding’s* three levels of disinfection:

• High-level• Intermediate-level• Low-level*for treatment of devices and surfaces that do not

require sterility for safe use

High-level Disinfection

Includes powerful sporocidal chemicals (glutaraldehyde, peracteic acid and hydrogen peroxide)

Inactivates all vegetative bacteria, mycobacteria (TB), viruses, fungi, some bacterial spores, enveloped and non enveloped virusesUtilize for items that come into contact with intact mucous membranes and are heat sensitive– semi-critical medical instruments (s/a flexible fiber optic endoscopes)– thermometers– vaginal speculums– sigmoid scopes

Intermediate-level Disinfection

Includes Chlorine-containing compounds, alcohols (small surfaces), some phenolic, and some iodophorsInactivates a highly resistant organisms and exhibits some sporocidal activityUtilize for non-critical medical equipment s/a stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, dialysis machines, equipment knobs and controls.

Low-level Disinfection

Includes quaternary ammonium compounds, some phenolic, and some iodophorsInactivates vegetative bacteria, fungi, and some lipid enveloped medium size virusesUtilize for items that come in contact with intact skin such as examining table top, baby weigh scale, blood pressure cuff

Monitor employee compliance to hand hygiene recommendations

Special Pathogen Concern

• Recent studies indicate that MRSA and VRE are most likely transmitted either:– Patient to patient contact– Via health-care workers hands– Hand transfer from contaminated environmental

surfaces and patient care equipment

Note: Use standard cleaning and disinfection protocols to control environmental contamination with antibiotic-resistant, gram-positive coccid

Hand Hygiene• Avoid artificial nails and keep natural nails < ¼ in• For visibly soiled hands use soap and water• Use alcohol-based hand rubs

– Before and after each patient– Before and after glove use

• Improved hand hygiene adherence has: – Terminated outbreaks in health care facilities– ↓ transmission of AR organisms– ↓ overall infection rates

What is wrong with our Practices

• Disinfectants used indiscrimately,

• Used unnecessarily• Not used when needed.• Concentration not

adequate• Economic consideration,• Business promotions.• Laboratory testing X

Hospital conditions may not correlate.

Economical loss• Money wasted on

unnecessary use.• People concentrate on Floors, Inanimate

objects, If the resources are not

spend with scientific understanding the limited resources are lost in particular developing countries.

Disinfection x Sterilization• Sterilization is absolute,

removes microbes and spores too.

• To achieve Sterilization is Expensive, not sustainable, many times not needed.

• An effective Disinfection reduces the infections drastically.

Basic care of Operation Theatres.• Reduction of Microbial

counts is important.• Very rarely the Microbes

reach the operation site,• Paying great attention to

Floors Using unnecessary, too many chemical not necessary

• Keep the floor Clean and Dry - Bacteria are reduced,

• Most Important component of Bacteria is water a dry areas causes natural death except spores

Frequent cleaning of Walls and Roof ofOperation Theatre is not needed

• Frequent cleaning has little effect.

• Do not disturb these areas unnecessarily,

• Floors get contaminated quickly, depend on

Number of persons present in the

Theatre / Movements they make, has direct relation to increase of bacterial counts

Do not disturb the Roof • Do not disturb

unnecessarily,• Do not use ceiling fans

they cause aerosol spread

• Clean only when remodeling or accumulated ,good amount of dust.

How you care for Floors• Use only

vacuum cleaners

• Don't broom • As it increases the

bacterial flora in the environment

Cleaning the Floor• A simple

detergent reduces flora by 80 %

• Addition of disinfectant reduces to 95 %

• In busy Hospitals counts raise in 2 hours

Aldehyde free sterilization of Operation theatres

• Some of the emerging compounds developed for use in the sterilization of operating theatres are more effective for environmental decontamination, have a very good cost/benefit ratio, good material compatibility, excellent cleaning properties and leave virtually no residues. One particular product available has the advantage of being a Formaldehyde-free disinfectant cleaner with low use concentration

Are Flowers Safe in the Hospital ?

Why flowers are Harmful• They carry a prominent

bacteria which can cause Hospital acquired infections.

• Many Hospitals advise not to bring flowers to patients in Burns/Orthopedic wards and critical care areas.

Who/What is Important in prevention of Infections

Remember we are More important than many

Sterilization and Disinfection policies.

• Create you own Infection control team which suits your Hospital,

• Infection control team decides the policies.• Educate the staff on Methods and policies in

Hospital safety and Hygiene • Educate the staff on few useful option, many

theoretical ideas confuse.• To many Chemicals – Costly, need not be

effective.

Importance of Staff Education• Specify the staff for

duties and responsibilities.

• Education is a matter of continuity

• Train under the seniors observation.

• Train the staff with scientific goals

Operation Theatre Safety is

Responsibility Of

Everyone

SSI level classification Incisional SSI - Superficial incisional = skin and

subcutaneous tissue - Deep incisional = involving deeper soft

tissue Organ/Space SSI - Involve any part of the anatomy (organs

and spaces), other than the incision, opened or manipulated during operations

CDC Definition of Surgical Site Infections

Frequent Washing of Hands saves several Lives Universally

PREVENTION IS PRIMARY!

PREVENTION IS PRIMARY!

Protect patients…protect healthcare personnel…promote quality healthcare!

Created from Web sourcesVisit for Articles of Interest on Infectious

Diseases

• Programme Created by Dr.T.V.Rao MD for Medical and Paramedical

Professionals in the Developing World • Email

• doctortvrao@gmail.com