HIGIENE, LIMPIEZA Y DESINFECCION DE SUPERFICIES
Hygienic Treatment of Surfaces in Clinical Settings
Importance of Surface Hygiene
- Horizontal surfaces serve as physical supports for germs, which can arrive via air, splashes, or contact with objects and people. If conditions are favorable, these germs can proliferate.
- The hygienic treatment of surfaces involves two processes: cleaning and disinfection. If surfaces are not visibly dirty, both processes can be combined using disinfectants that contain detergents to save time and costs.
Cleaning Techniques
- The "two-bucket system" is recommended to keep clean water separate from used water, ensuring the disinfectant solution remains hygienically effective longer.
- Cleaning should follow a specific order: from high areas to low areas, from cleaner zones to dirtier ones, and from inside out. Floors should be cleaned in zigzag patterns.
Surgical Area Protocol
- Operating rooms require cleaning after each surgical intervention and at the end of the day using a detergent-disinfectant solution. Various tools like mops and cloths are employed for different surfaces.
- In case visible dirt is present on surfaces, it must be removed before applying biocidal products to ensure effective disinfection.
Patient Room Considerations
- Patient beds need careful cleaning due to potential accumulation of dirt and bodily fluids; microfiber cloths soaked in disinfectant solutions are preferred.
- Bathrooms undergo thorough cleaning including toilets, sinks, showers, walls, floors, and door handles using a specific two-bucket system with well-wrung mops.
Terminal Disinfection Procedures
- Terminal disinfection is crucial in high-risk areas like operating rooms before or after complex surgeries or following patient discharge or death. This process follows prior deep cleaning.
- Airborne disinfection involves aerosolizing disinfectants into small particles that mechanically capture airborne contaminants while reaching all surfaces effectively.
Effectiveness of Disinfection Methods
- This method achieves up to 99.999% reduction in bacterial and fungal contamination rates during sanitation vacuums when no personnel are present.