4. Anchor the cuff on your thumb. With your
fingers still under the cuff, pull the cuff up and
away from your hand and over the knitted cuff
of the gown.
5. Repeat the preceding step to glove your other
hand.
6. The gloving process is complete.
To gown and glove the surgeon, follow these steps:
1. Pick up a gown from the sterile linen pack. Step
back from the sterile field and let the gown
unfold in front of you. Hold the gown at the
shoulder seams with the gown sleeves facing
you.
2. Offer the gown to the surgeon. Once the
surgeons arms are in the sleeves, let go of the
gown. Be careful not to touch anything but the
sterile gown. The circulator will tie the gown.
3. Pick up the right glove. With the thumb of the
glove facing the surgeon, place your fingers and
thumbs of both hands in the cuff of the glove and
stretch it outward, making a circle of the cuff.
Offer the glove to the surgeon. Be careful that
the surgeons bare hand does not touch your
gloved hands.
4. Repeat the preceding step for the left glove.
Cleaning the Operating/
Treatment Room
Cleanliness in the operating room is an absolute
must. Cleaning routines must be clearly understood
and carefully followed. The cause of postoperative
wound infections have, on occasion, been traced to the
operating room. Since no two patients are alike and all
patients have their own resident bacteria, every
surgical case must be considered to be contaminated.
At the beginning of each day, all the fixtures,
equipment, and furniture in each operating room will
be damp-dusted with an antiseptic germicide solution.
During the operation, keep the room clean and orderly
at all times. Should sponges be dropped on the floor, or
if blood or other body fluids spill, clean the area
immediately using a disinfectant germicide solution
and a clean cloth. Between operations, clean all used
items. The area of the floor occupied by the surgical
team must be cleaned using the wet vacuum method. If
a wet vacuum is not available, mops may be used, but a
clean mop head must be used following each
operation. Gowns and gloves must be removed before
leaving the room. All linens and surgical drapes must
be bagged and removed from the room. All trash and
disposable items must be bagged and taken from the
room. All instruments must be washed by gloved
hands or placed in perforated trays and put through a
washer/sterilizer.
At the completion of the days operations, each
operating room should be terminally cleaned using an
antiseptic germicide solution and the following tasks
accomplished.
Clean all wall- or ceiling-mounted equipment.
Clean all spotlights and lights on tracks.
Thoroughly scrub all furniture used in the room,
including the wheels.
Clean metal buckets and other waste receptacles
and, if possible, put them through the
washer/sterilizer.
Clean scrub sinks.
Machine scrub the entire floor in each room. If a
machine is not available, use a large floor brush.
Suction up the disinfectant germicide solution
that is used on the floor, using a wet vacuum. If
mops are used, make sure a clean mop head is
used for each room.
NOTE: The use of mops in the operating room
is the LEAST DESIRABLE method of
cleaning.
MANAGEMENT OF INFECTIOUS
WASTE
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: I d e n t i f y
medical waste sorting, packaging, handling,
and disposal procedures.
Concern about potentially adverse effects of
infectious waste on public health and the environment
has gained widespread media attention.
While
scientific evidence shows that infectious waste is no
greater threat to the environment or public health than
residential solid waste, medical facilities are perceived
to be a source of pollution. It is, therefore, imperative
that a medical facility establish an effective plan for
dealing with infectious waste. This plan should
include the segregation, packing and handling,
storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of such
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