Identifying Potential Areas of Infectivity on High-Touch Locations in the OR

Personnel at an ambulatory surgery center in Franklin, Wisconsin, used the nationwide emphasis on minimizing health care-associated infections as the impetus to set up an investigation to determine the effectiveness of cleaning procedures for the OR and stationary OR equipment. During the course of one week, we examined areas that we considered to be high touch (ie, with the greatest frequency of multiple hand contacts) for effective cleaning and decontamination in one OR by using a commercial cleaning verification system commonly used in the food service industry and standard culture methods. As a result of this project, we determined that the cleaning and disinfection at our facility was effective. In the process, we gained insight into the dynamics of the cleaning procedure under actual conditions. This project reports a simple method of maintaining or improving cleaning protocols in a cost-effective manner.