At the 18th Annual Ambulatory Surgery Centers Conference in Chicago on Oct. 29, Jack Wagner, president and director of scientific, technical and regulatory affairs at Micro-Scientific Industries, discussed nosocomial infections and best practices for surgery center cleaning and disinfection.
Infections continue to be a persistent problem in healthcare, with a 5 percent nosocomial infection rate in U.S. hospitals. Of those infections, one-third are caused by environmental cross-contamination. Mr. Wagner pointed out that almost all environmentally transmitted infections occur because a staff member fails to follow protocol.
Healthcare-acquired infections are not only subject to governmental scrutiny but also scrutiny by patients and their families as well. In addition to loss of business by patients and exposure to regulatory penalties and litigations, healthcare facilities also face increased healthcare costs.
Mr. Wagner said there are several measures surgery centers can take to tackle the incidence of nosomial infections:
• Always clean (the physical removal of soil, including blood, spores, etc.) and disinfect (the killing of bacteria, viruses and fungi) environmental and equipment surfaces between patients.
• Follow industry standards and regulations.
• Use only approved and appropriate products for the purpose at hand.
• Follow label instructions.
In the case of OR surfaces, an intermediate-level disinfectant that kills mycobacteria TB is the industry standard. Mr. Wagner said TB is considered the industry benchmark because it is very hard to kill. "Chances are that if you kill TB, you have a product that can kill other bacteria and viruses," he said.
In addition, Mr. Wagner advised that while pre-moistened wipes are suitable for non-clinical surfaces, they are not suitable for terminal cleaning and reprocessing of patient care devices. In that same vein, liquid cleaners and disinfectants may be used for both cleaning and disinfecting purposes and are better suited for corners, cracks and other hard-to-reach spaces. Other considerations include the following:
• Ready-to-use (opposed to concentrated cleaners/disinfectants) are easier to use and easier to defend during regulatory questions.
• Disinfectants containing alcohol and high alcohol (> 24 percent) always require pre-cleaning using detergent and water, followed by rinsing and drying. These types of disinfectants also cannot be used on clear plastics.
• Floors should be mopped between cases using a fresh, clean mop with detergent and water.
Read More from the ASC Conference:
Surgical Care Affiliates CEO Andrew Hayek: 6 Observations on the State of the ASC Industry
5 Best Practices for Revenue Capture at Endoscopy ASCs
Why Benchmarking Data is Critical for GI Centers
Infections continue to be a persistent problem in healthcare, with a 5 percent nosocomial infection rate in U.S. hospitals. Of those infections, one-third are caused by environmental cross-contamination. Mr. Wagner pointed out that almost all environmentally transmitted infections occur because a staff member fails to follow protocol.
Healthcare-acquired infections are not only subject to governmental scrutiny but also scrutiny by patients and their families as well. In addition to loss of business by patients and exposure to regulatory penalties and litigations, healthcare facilities also face increased healthcare costs.
Mr. Wagner said there are several measures surgery centers can take to tackle the incidence of nosomial infections:
• Always clean (the physical removal of soil, including blood, spores, etc.) and disinfect (the killing of bacteria, viruses and fungi) environmental and equipment surfaces between patients.
• Follow industry standards and regulations.
• Use only approved and appropriate products for the purpose at hand.
• Follow label instructions.
In the case of OR surfaces, an intermediate-level disinfectant that kills mycobacteria TB is the industry standard. Mr. Wagner said TB is considered the industry benchmark because it is very hard to kill. "Chances are that if you kill TB, you have a product that can kill other bacteria and viruses," he said.
In addition, Mr. Wagner advised that while pre-moistened wipes are suitable for non-clinical surfaces, they are not suitable for terminal cleaning and reprocessing of patient care devices. In that same vein, liquid cleaners and disinfectants may be used for both cleaning and disinfecting purposes and are better suited for corners, cracks and other hard-to-reach spaces. Other considerations include the following:
• Ready-to-use (opposed to concentrated cleaners/disinfectants) are easier to use and easier to defend during regulatory questions.
• Disinfectants containing alcohol and high alcohol (> 24 percent) always require pre-cleaning using detergent and water, followed by rinsing and drying. These types of disinfectants also cannot be used on clear plastics.
• Floors should be mopped between cases using a fresh, clean mop with detergent and water.
Read More from the ASC Conference:
Surgical Care Affiliates CEO Andrew Hayek: 6 Observations on the State of the ASC Industry
5 Best Practices for Revenue Capture at Endoscopy ASCs
Why Benchmarking Data is Critical for GI Centers
