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Related Concept Videos

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures01:22

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment01:25

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Asepsis01:28

Asepsis

The condition of being free from disease-causing living pathogens is asepsis. Aseptic techniques include a set of standard practices to achieve asepsis. An example is the regular environmental cleaning of all parts of the healthcare facility and hand hygiene at home before preparing or eating food. Medical and surgical asepsis in healthcare practice protects patients from harmful pathogens, minimizes the risk of contamination of susceptible sites, and reduces the risk of infection transmission.
Hand hygiene01:23

Hand hygiene

Asepsis is the practice of preventing or breaking the chain of infection. The nurse employs aseptic techniques to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of diseases. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of aseptic techniques and is classified into medical and surgical asepsis. Medical asepsis includes hand hygiene and the use of gloves. Surgical asepsis, or the sterile technique, refers to practices that render and keep objects and areas free of microorganisms.
Hand washing...
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection01:26

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...

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Related Experiment Videos

Continued non-compliance with the American College of Surgeons recommendations to decrease infectious exposure in the

Christina M Welc1, Ali Nassiry, Kara Elam

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0019, USA.

Surgical Infections
|May 7, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Surgical staff know about sharps safety guidelines but don't always follow them. Improving awareness and removing barriers are key to increasing compliance and preventing needlestick injuries.

Related Experiment Videos

Area of Science:

  • Surgical Safety Practices
  • Occupational Health in Healthcare
  • Injury Prevention in Medicine

Background:

  • The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recommends double gloving (DG), hands-free zone (HFZ), and blunt-tip suture needles (BTSN) to reduce surgical needlestick injuries.
  • Compliance with these ACS sharps safety guidelines is reportedly low in operating rooms.
  • A survey was conducted to understand surgical staff perceptions, attitudes, and barriers regarding these safety recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the awareness, attitudes, and perceived barriers among surgical staff concerning ACS sharps safety guidelines.
  • To identify factors contributing to low compliance with recommended safety practices.
  • To inform strategies for improving the adoption of sharps safety measures in surgical settings.

Main Methods:

  • A voluntary convenience survey was administered to surgical staff, collecting data on understanding of ACS recommendations.
  • 107 out of 324 distributed surveys were completed, yielding a 33% response rate.
  • Respondents primarily included surgical residents (64%) and attending surgeons (29%).

Main Results:

  • Familiarity was highest with double gloving (DG) and hands-free zone (HFZ) but lower for blunt-tip suture needles (BTSN).
  • Despite believing in the efficacy of DG and HFZ, fewer than half of respondents used DG regularly, and less than 10% consistently used HFZ.
  • Perceived barriers included reduced tactile sensation with DG, insufficient HFZ training, and limited availability of BTSN.

Conclusions:

  • Improving compliance requires enhancing institutional awareness of ACS guidelines and their benefits.
  • Addressing and removing practical barriers to implementing DG, HFZ, and BTSN is crucial.
  • Standardizing the incorporation of these sharps safety measures into daily surgical practice is essential for reducing needlestick injuries.