who suffer post-op infections are 5 times more likely to be re-hospital-
ized and 2 times more likely to die after surgery. So while the CDC's
findings are certainly encouraging, there's still plenty we can do to
help stop the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
1. Go back to basics
Lowering HAI rates demands building your infection prevention pro-
gram on a foundation of the fundamentals.
• Patient warming. Use active warming methods to prevent
hypothermia in patients before, during and after surgery. Patients who
are normothermic throughout their surgical stay are less likely to suf-
fer post-op infections.
• Instrument care. Wipe visible tissue and blood from soiled instru-
ments immediately after use and soak the tools in enzymatic deter-
gent to prevent bioburden from forming in lumens and grooves. Your
immediate-use cleaning efforts in the OR will make the decontamina-
tion process much easier in central sterile.
• Hair removal. Remove hair around the surgical site only as needed
based on surgeon preference. Use clippers instead of razors and remove
hair outside of the OR in pre-op. Loose hair fibers carry microorganisms
that can colonize the surgical incision. Adhesive tape and sticky mitts
are ineffective at collecting the fibers and time-consuming to use, so opt
instead for surgical clippers with a vacuum-assisted device.
• Traffic control. Limit the number of staff in ORs to essential mem-
bers of the surgical team and have needed equipment on hand to elim-
inate the need for circulators to leave the room during cases to hunt
down missing items. Also keep door openings to a minimum.
• Surgical attire. Did you know you shed about 10 million particles
from your skin each day and about 10% of them carry viable microor-
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