The chance of surgeons getting contaminated after entering the operation room may be lower if they wear their gowns by themselves without a surgical technician's assistance. The experimental study is published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.
Contamination occurs in most two-person assisted gowning procedures, suggests the study by Kenton Panas, MD, and colleagues of The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City. The researchers write, "We suggest a single-person gowning step to help optimize sterile technique in the OR.".
Cosmetic Surgery and the Risk Factors
Cosmetic surgeons can reshape your face and body with innovative techniques. Botox, face fillers, breast implants, rhinoplasty, liposuction, tummy tuck, vaginoplasty and hymenoplasty to name a few.
Advertisement
‘Any breach of sterile conditions in the operation room will cause infections to the critically ill patients and can lead to permanent disability in them.’
Tweet it Now
Surgeons Ask, 'Are We Contaminated Before We Cut?'
The researchers designed an experiment to assess possible breaches of sterility during the gowning step before surgery. The study simulated a two-person gowning procedure in which a surgical technician unfolds the gown and holds it open for the surgeon to slide his/her arms through.
![Cyclospora Infection (Cyclosporiasis)]( "Cyclospora Infection (Cyclosporiasis)")
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by food and water contamination, resulting in watery diarrhea. Cyclospora treatment involves administration of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
The potential for contamination was monitored by coating the surgical technician's gown with a special resin that glows under ultraviolet light. If any of the glowing resin was detected on the surgeon's gown after the procedure, it was considered a contamination event. Three orthopaedic surgeons and three experienced technicians performed a total of 27 gowning procedures.
The results showed evidence of cross-contamination in 67 percent of gowning procedures. All areas of contamination, as shown by glowing of the resin under ultraviolet light, were on the sleeves of the surgical gown.
The surgeons and technicians were selected based on variations in height: in both groups, one participant was tall, one medium height, and one short. The surgeon's height was a significant source of variation, with the tallest surgeon having the greatest amount of contamination of the gown of the sleeve.
The contamination rate was unaffected by technician's height, nor by the surgeon's experience. In fact, the least-experienced surgeon participating in the study had the lowest rate of gown contamination.
Following sterile technique is critical for everyone working in the OR. "Any breach of sterile technique can lead to contamination, which ultimately may lead to infection," the researchers write. This is especially important in orthopaedic surgery because of the frequent use of implantable materials. While several OR procedures have been studied to assess their impact on contamination rates, this is the first study to assess the process of putting on surgical gowns.
Cross-contamination of the surgeon's gown is a common occurrence during the standard two-person assisted gowning procedure, the new findings suggest. The risk of contamination appears greater when gowning taller surgeons - possibly because the longer sleeves are more likely to come into contact with the technician's gown.
While acknowledging their study's small size, Dr. Panas and coauthors write, "this study identifies a common and overlooked pattern of sterile field contamination." They suggest that a single-person gowning procedure - where the gown is handed to the surgeon, who then puts it on without assistance - can eliminate this source of contamination and help to optimize sterile technique in the OR.
"Postoperative infections can be life changing in the critically ill and can lead to permanent disability, loss of limb, or worse," Dr. Panas comments. "We hope our work gives surgeons of all specialties one more tool to accomplish our ultimate goal as healthcare providers, which is the optimization of patient care."
Source: Eurekalert
Cyclospora Infection (Cyclosporiasis)
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by food and water contamination, resulting in watery diarrhea. Cyclospora treatment involves administration of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Advertisement
The potential for contamination was monitored by coating the surgical technician's gown with a special resin that glows under ultraviolet light. If any of the glowing resin was detected on the surgeon's gown after the procedure, it was considered a contamination event. Three orthopaedic surgeons and three experienced technicians performed a total of 27 gowning procedures.
The results showed evidence of cross-contamination in 67 percent of gowning procedures. All areas of contamination, as shown by glowing of the resin under ultraviolet light, were on the sleeves of the surgical gown.
The surgeons and technicians were selected based on variations in height: in both groups, one participant was tall, one medium height, and one short. The surgeon's height was a significant source of variation, with the tallest surgeon having the greatest amount of contamination of the gown of the sleeve.
The contamination rate was unaffected by technician's height, nor by the surgeon's experience. In fact, the least-experienced surgeon participating in the study had the lowest rate of gown contamination.
Following sterile technique is critical for everyone working in the OR. "Any breach of sterile technique can lead to contamination, which ultimately may lead to infection," the researchers write. This is especially important in orthopaedic surgery because of the frequent use of implantable materials. While several OR procedures have been studied to assess their impact on contamination rates, this is the first study to assess the process of putting on surgical gowns.
Cross-contamination of the surgeon's gown is a common occurrence during the standard two-person assisted gowning procedure, the new findings suggest. The risk of contamination appears greater when gowning taller surgeons - possibly because the longer sleeves are more likely to come into contact with the technician's gown.
While acknowledging their study's small size, Dr. Panas and coauthors write, "this study identifies a common and overlooked pattern of sterile field contamination." They suggest that a single-person gowning procedure - where the gown is handed to the surgeon, who then puts it on without assistance - can eliminate this source of contamination and help to optimize sterile technique in the OR.
"Postoperative infections can be life changing in the critically ill and can lead to permanent disability, loss of limb, or worse," Dr. Panas comments. "We hope our work gives surgeons of all specialties one more tool to accomplish our ultimate goal as healthcare providers, which is the optimization of patient care."
Source: Eurekalert
E. coli Infection / Escherichia coli Infection
E. coli is a type of gram negative bacteria that lives in the gastrointestinal tract of people and animals. Some E. coli bacteria strains in contaminated food and water can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections and abdominal cramps.
Advertisement
 Aortic DissectionAortic dissection refers to a serious condition where there is a tear in the wall of a major artery leading to blood flow within the layers of the aorta. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Latest Hospital News
Is prehabilitation associated with improved outcomes in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery? Yes, it improved overall function in comparison with usual care.
An exploratory investigation in Ghana revealed that surgical site infection was a statistically significant variable in determining postoperative healthcare costs.
Adolescents and young adults preferred more patient-led active decision-making while parents preferred more parent/physician-shared decision-making.
Is hand hygiene important in hospital settings? Clean hands can help patients and staff in healthcare settings to avoid healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). So, wash your hands
Antibiotic resistance may result from poor hygiene practices in hospitals or other medical facilities, stated study.