Faculty Collaboration Database

Decreasing operating room environmental pathogen contamination through improved cleaning practice. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2012 Sep;33(9):897-904

Date

08/08/2012

Pubmed ID

22869263

DOI

10.1086/667381

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84864911551 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   77 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Potential transmission of organisms from the environment to patients is a concern, especially in enclosed settings, such as operating rooms, in which there are multiple and frequent contacts between patients, provider's hands, and environmental surfaces. Therefore, adequate disinfection of operating rooms is essential. We aimed to determine the change in both the thoroughness of environmental cleaning and the proportion of environmental surfaces within operating rooms from which pathogenic organisms were recovered.

DESIGN: Prospective environmental study using feedback with UV markers and environmental cultures.

SETTING: A 1,500-bed county teaching hospital.

PARTICIPANTS: Environmental service personnel, hospital administration, and medical and nursing leadership.

RESULTS: The proportion of UV markers removed (cleaned) increased from 0.47 (284 of 600 markers; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42-0.53) at baseline to 0.82 (634 of 777 markers; 95% CI, 0.77-0.85) during the last month of observations ([Formula: see text]). Nevertheless, the percentage of samples from which pathogenic organisms (gram-negative bacilli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus species) were recovered did not change throughout our study. Pathogens were identified on 16.6% of surfaces at baseline and 12.5% of surfaces during the follow-up period ([Formula: see text]). However, the percentage of surfaces from which gram-negative bacilli were recovered decreased from 10.7% at baseline to 2.3% during the follow-up period ([Formula: see text]).

CONCLUSIONS: Feedback using Gram staining of environmental cultures and UV markers was successful at improving the degree of cleaning in our operating rooms.

Author List

Munoz-Price LS, Birnbach DJ, Lubarsky DA, Arheart KL, Fajardo-Aquino Y, Rosalsky M, Cleary T, Depascale D, Coro G, Namias N, Carling P

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Disinfection
Enterococcus
Equipment Contamination
Feedback
Gram-Negative Bacteria
Logistic Models
Operating Rooms
Prospective Studies
Quality Assurance, Health Care
Quality Improvement
Staphylococcus aureus
Ultraviolet Rays