One of the most crucial steps of any surgical procedure is preventing infections. To help prevent surgical site infections, medical personnel must carefully create and enforce a sterile field around the patient. This sterile field requires constant vigilance to keep out microorganisms that could contaminate the patient, doctors, or equipment. Refresh your knowledge on OR cleanliness and best practices with these tips for keeping your operating room sterile.
Establish a Routine
When you have standardized practices and regulations, your team becomes familiar and practiced in the skills they need to maintain a sterile environment. Establish and enforce a routine and expectations for your staff. These regular practices will help make your team reliable, professional, and efficient when it comes to setting up and protecting a sterile field in your operating room.
Hold Everyone Accountable
Like many of the procedures that occur in an operating room, maintaining a sterile space is a team effort. In addition to knowing what they’re doing, it’s important for your team to know how important their job is. Make sure every member of the staff both understands and respects the severity of an effective sterile field. Thorough training and a collaborative, supportive team environment help your employees work well together and hold each other accountable in keeping up with best practices.
Be Vigilant Within the Sterile Field
Vigilance is one of the most vital tips for keeping your operating room sterile. Once you set up the sterile field, you need to pay close attention to the area and everything within it to ensure that it stays uncontaminated. Anyone within the sterile field should avoid coughing, sneezing, speaking, or laughing in the area. Carefully inspect sterile wrapped instruments before opening them to look for any tears or damage that might indicate contamination. If there is ever any doubt about the sterility of an object, assume it is contaminated and do not use it. Finally, someone should be constantly monitoring the field. If you turn your back on the field even for a moment, you must assume that it has become contaminated. Make sure the area remains secure and clean by keeping a constant watch.
Medical Positioning is dedicated to the success of your facility and the procedures you perform within it. We provide the highest-quality equipment—including c arm tables for general surgery and pain-management procedures—to protect your patients, keep your staff comfortable, and create an efficient, effective environment for your medical facility.