As outpatient facilities resume surgeries according to federal and state guidelines, ensuring the availability of surgery-critical resources will be top of mind.
One way to conserve PPE is to keep scrub staff in the OR after they’ve prepped a case. While typical practice may be for scrub staff to leave the operating room after prepping a case, Suzanne Champion, RN, director of Clinical Operations at Cardinal Health, says that facilities should rethink this practice. That’s because each time a staffer leaves the OR, PPE such as a mask, gloves and gown are wasted — all precious resources in the current environment. Facilities could consider having staff prep a surgery closer to the time of the case, so they can remain in the OR immediately afterward without having to don new PPE.
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Anesthesiologists have additional resources to offer guidance on retaining surgery critical resources.
For more information on how Cardinal Health is addressing COVID-19, and additional resources and tools, visit cardinalhealth.com/covid19.