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Contaminated operating room boots: the potential for infection
Meena Agarwal1, Peter Hamilton-Stewart, Ronald A Dixon
1Department of Urology, Bradford Royal Infirmary, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
American Journal of Infection Control
|May 4, 2002
Summary
Many operating room boots are contaminated with blood and bacteria, posing infection risks. Manual cleaning is ineffective; automatic washing machines are recommended for better boot hygiene.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Disease Prevention
- Healthcare Hygiene
Background:
- Operating room boots can harbor blood and infectious materials, creating risks for surgical staff.
- Contaminated footwear contributes to discontent and potential disease transmission within healthcare settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the level of contamination on operating room boots.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of current boot cleaning practices.
Main Methods:
- Visual inspection and biochemical testing for blood presence on boots.
- Bacterial isolation and quantification using standard microbiological techniques.
Main Results:
- 44% of operating room boots tested positive for blood contamination.
- Most boots were contaminated with bacteria; surgeons' boots showed high contamination rates.
- Perforated comfort shoes and plastic boots were most contaminated, unlike Wellington boots and clogs.
Conclusions:
- Manual boot cleaning methods are inadequate for maintaining operating room hygiene.
- Washing boots in automatic washing machines is recommended to reduce contamination and infection risk.