M A Y 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3
INFECTION CONTROL
S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
To Our Readers
This year's Manager's Guide to Infection Control reinforces the importance of trusting proven processes and relying on standard practices to
keep your facility and patients safe from pathogens, biofilm and pandemic-causing viruses. With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on every
aspect of the healthcare system, everybody is looking to infection preventionists for answers. The success stories and expert advice in these pages show that improving on what
has always worked to reduce infection risks will help you continue to perform safe and efficient surgeries for the patients who rely on you. Cover design by Ethan Anderson
o u t p a t i e n t s u r g e r y . n e t
27
4 Infection Prevention's Big Moment
Amid the COVID-19 crisis,
a back-to-basics mantra emerges.
Jared Bilski | Managing Editor
12 Prewarming Works Wonders
Early interventions to maintain
normothermia reduce infection risks
and increase patient satisfaction.
Marci D. Trump, MSN, RN, CNOR; Adrianna Medina,
RN, CNOR; and Denise Rainier, MBA, BSN, RN
17 Are Your Instruments Really Clean?
Ensure tools have been properly reprocessed
before they're used on another patient.
Christian Schappel | Contributing Editor
27 Need Help Improving Instrument Care?
Expert consultants offer fresh ideas and
new approaches to make change happen in
the sterile processing department.
Daniel Cook | Editor-in-Chief
32 Standardize Your
Skin Prepping Practices
Reducing variation and rooting out technique
flaws are the keys to preventing SSIs.
Jared Bilski | Managing Editor
37 Scope Reprocessing
Starts at the Bedside
Follow the essentials of endoscope
disinfecting, drying and storage.
Randall Rentschler, RN
44 Ready for the New Normal
in Surface Disinfection?
Revisit your protocols before a return to the pace
of pre-pandemic surgery.
John Berry | Editorial Assistant
52 Making Sense of the COVID-19 Crisis
Q&A with Timothy P. Lahey, MD, MMSC,
infectious disease doctor and medical ethicist.
M a y 2 0 2 0
Contents