Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/1346819
scientific evidence that shows this device is neces- sary, but we figure it can't hurt, especially when we're working near a patient's head in the midst of a pandemic. Taking that extra step to make patient care as safe as possible makes sense. After procedures, patients are transported to the PACU with cloth or surgical masks worn on top of oxygen face masks. Once the patient has left the OR, staff wearing N95 masks and full PPE clean the room and set it up for the next case. The room turnover process takes an extra five or 10 minutes to complete because every surface and piece of equipment is carefully wiped down. Our anesthesia providers and surgical team members are ultimately spending an extra 30 minutes between cases ready- ing rooms for the next case, but believe additional cleaning precautions are necessary to ensure patient safety. 5 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 2 1 It's sometimes a struggle for anesthesia professionals to keep their workstations free from contamination. During the pan- demic, our providers have been constantly wiping down equipment and surfaces. We've also focused much of our attention on segregating workspaces into clean areas containing supplies we haven't yet touched and dirty areas where used items are placed. We try to keep only supplies that are absolutely needed for a case at the bed- side. Supplies that may or may not be needed are stored in an enclosed cabinet in the room, kept in the hall on a cart or cov- ered with plastic on the back table. This intense focus on maintaining clean anes- thesia workstations and following proven infection prevention practices should con- tinue after the pandemic. Remaining focused on safety We're back to handling a pre-coronavirus case volume at the main surgery center in which we work. In fact, the number of cases might be a little higher than normal because some procedures are shifting to the center from local hospitals that are restricting elec- tive procedures to maintain bed capacities for COVID-19 patients. Our anesthesia providers and surgery center col- leagues call patients before their procedures to screen for symptoms of COVID-19. They also call on the day of surgery to remind them of the facility's safety policies related to masking, limiting visitors and social distancing. My group is stretched thin, but we continue to work hard. Thanks to the new policies and prac- tices we've implemented, none of us have tested positive for COVID-19 due to workplace exposure. Nobody knows how the pandemic will play out or when it will end, but it's certain our delivery of safe anesthesia care will continue. OSM Dr. Wrobleski (pam@bpwpc.net) is a lead CRNA and president of BPW Medical Associates, P.C., a full-service anesthesia group based in Sutersville, Pa. CLEAN AIR Portable filtration systems remove airborne particulates from around the patient during aerosol-producing intubations.