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Scissors: are they an infection control risk?
Professional Nurse (London, England)
|May 28, 2002
Summary
Nurses must review infection control due to rising bacterial resistance. Many scissors remain contaminated after cleaning, posing an infection risk that some nurses may not recognize.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infection Control
- Nursing Practice
Background:
- Rising antimicrobial resistance necessitates stringent infection control.
- Healthcare settings face challenges in maintaining sterile environments.
- Cross-contamination risks are a persistent concern in clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess bacterial contamination on surgical scissors.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of current cleaning protocols for scissors.
- To understand nurses' awareness of infection risks associated with scissor use.
Main Methods:
- Bacterial cultures were performed on 59% of swabbed scissors.
- Contamination levels were assessed before and after cleaning procedures.
- Nurses' perceptions of infection risks were evaluated.
Main Results:
- Significant bacterial contamination was detected on a majority of sampled scissors.
- Some scissors remained contaminated even after undergoing standard cleaning procedures.
- A notable gap in awareness regarding the infection risks associated with scissor use was observed among some nurses.
Conclusions:
- Current infection control procedures for scissors may be inadequate.
- Enhanced training on instrument hygiene and infection risk is crucial for nurses.
- Addressing the unrecognized risks of cross-contamination from scissors is vital to patient safety.