The editorial discussed various ways to improve anesthesiologist hygiene in the operating room, though researchers acknowledged that anesthesiologists are not the only parties responsible for surgical site infections. According to the study, documented compliance with hand-washing guidelines is “abysmal” and hand-washing practices could be significantly improved.
The authors offered several hypothetical suggestions on decreasing surgical site infections, including:
• Obtaining and monitoring anesthesia provider-specific data regarding surgical infections and using that data to benchmark infection rates
• Routinely culturing operating room personnel for S aureus and MRSA
• Developing better disinfecting protocols for anesthesia equipment
• Banning all other equipment and accessories (personal bags and purses, cell phones and iPods, for example) from the OR
The report posited that because the cost of surgical site infections is very high to healthcare delivery systems, the increased cost of implementing effective processes will be offset by the reduced cost of treating infections.
Read the editorial published in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
Read more on anesthesia:
–Surgeon and Anesthesiologist Perception of Turnover Times May Be Flawed
–10 Statistics on the Anesthesiologist Workforce
–Study: Anesthesiologist Ordering Could Reduce Unnecessary Tests
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