Hospital acquired infection effects nearly 2 million patients annually and has become a marker for quality care. The SCIP guidelines have specific requirements for antibiotic administration in the peri-operative period, however, antibiotics are only one piece of the infection control puzzle. Sterile instruments and hand washing with every patient contact are also essential elements. One area that is often overlooked is the use of contaminated ECG wires from patient to patient and the risk of introducing organisms to an otherwise clean/sterile area.
A study by Laura Boegli, Elinor Pulcini, Ph.D. and Garth James, Ph.D, (Bacterial Migration on Reuseable Electrocardiography (ECG) Lead Wires) The study cultured 100 randomly selected ECG telemetry leads and found that 77% were contaminated with at least one antibiotic resistant pathogen. The authors make the following comments regarding the difficulty in cleaning ECG wires and cables:
“Reusable ECG cables and lead wires also have specific cleaning challenges that may cause cleaning to be inconsistent and ineffective such as (1) numerous “nooks and crannies” that patient’s blood and body fluids can seep into thereby providing an environment for bacterial growth (2) inability to submerge for cleaning and cleaning agents potentially degrading the product efficacy and functionality over time and (3) multiple surfaces on ECG lead wires and cables which may make it difficult for cleaning agents to reach all surfaces when cleaning in between patients.”
Click here to read the study. It is a PDF download and starts with the conclusion. The reader must forward to the start of the article.
Covidian has introduced disposable ECG wires to the marketplace enabling each patient to have clean ECG wires starting in the OR and then going with the patient to PACU and on to ICU or the patient room if necessary. This product eliminates the risk of patient to patient transfer of antibiotic resistant organisms in the operating room. Click here to view the manufacturer’s information and return to procrna.com with your comments.