Advanced SX Lecture 1: Operating Room Protocol Flashcards
What are the 3 distinct and separate areas of the surgery suite?
1) Preparation area
2) Scrub area
3) Surgery room
Preparation area:
- Clipping and initial scrub
- Storage of surgical supplies
- “Dirty” procedures
- Tx of impacted anal sacs
- Debridement of old wounds
- Tail docking, declaw
What happens in the Scrub area?
- Scrub sink
- Autoclave
- Room to put on gown and gloves
Surgery Room
- Only for surgery, dedicated room for sterile surgical procedures
- Closed off from the rest of the hospital
- Door closed
- Cabinets for sterile supplies:
Nonporous material
Have doors that can be closed
What does Sterile mean?
Absence of all living microorganisms, including spores
What does sterilization mean?
The use of physical or chemical procedure to destroy all microorganisms including resistant bacterial spores
What does Asepsis mean?
A state of being free of disease-causing microorganisms
What is Aseptic technique?
The prevention of contamination from harmful microorganisms. (Hygienic rules, limit risk of infections)
What is Sterile technique?
A set of specific practices and procedures performed to make equipment and areas free from all microorganisms and to maintain that sterility (By not contaminating it with non-sterile objects)
What is considered a sterile field?
Any area that has been covered with a sterile barrier.
- Gown
- Sterile table cover
- Drape(s)
What are the main members of a complete veterinary surgical team?
- Surgeon
- Surgical assistant
- Monitoring nurse
- Circulating nurse(s) (Only nurse allowed in and out of the surgery room)
- Recovery nurse (s)
What are considered the sterile areas?
- The scrubbed personnel’s gowns in front from the chest to the waist or level of the sterile field.
- The sleeves of the sterile gown are sterile from 2” above the elbow to the top of the edge of the cuff.
- Up to 1” of where the drape contacts the nonsterile surface (Ideally table edge)
- Any double draped table (Instrument table, mayo stand)
What are the 9 Principles of Surgical Asepsis Technique?
1) All materials in a sterile field must be sterile. All objects added to your sterile field must also be sterile.
2) A sterile barrier that has been compromised by punctures, tears, or moisture has to be considered contaminated.
3) Once a package is opened, a 2.5cm (1inch) border around the edge is considered unsterile.
4) Tables draped as part of a sterile field are considered sterile only at the table level. Therefore, the table legs, underside of the table, or any shelves below the table are to be considered unsterile.
5) If there are any questions or doubts about an object’s sterility, the object should be considered unsterile.
6) Sterile people and objects should only come into contact with sterile fields, and unsterile people and objects only come into contact with unsterile areas, such as the 2.5cm border.
7) Movement around or in the sterile field must not compromise or contaminate the sterile field.
8) Anything out of your range of vision or below waist level is considered contaminated and unsterile.
9) A sterile object or field can become contaminated by lingering exposure to air.
What is the surgical conscience?
Commitment of the surgical personnel to adhere strictly to aseptic technique.
- To prevent potential risk of infection, resulting in harm to the patient
- Be aware of your surroundings… Watch your hands and gown!
- Report any break in aseptic technique and addressed or corrected
What are some general rules for maintaining sterility?
- Keep sterile things (hands, instruments) within sterile field, and contaminated items outside sterile field.
- When moving in surgery room: turn sterile towards sterile and contaminated towards contaminated
- Minimize air currents to prevent airborne microorganisms settling on the incision and surgical field. - Minimize talking and traffic within operating room
What are some rules for movement to maintain sterility?
- Keep sterile field in sight**
Scrubbed personnel:
- Should not walk away from the sterile field.
- Keep hands within the sterile field, keep together in “prayer” position or closed-fist at mid chest when outside sterile field
How do you move when passing between two sterile fields?
Walk straight through so sides face sterile fields
How do you move when passing between a sterile and a contaminated area?
Turn sterile front to sterile area, and back to contaminated area
