With the development of medical diagnosis and treatment technology, ultrasound examination has been widely used in clinical practice, but it also faces certain safety hazards. If the ultrasound probe is not effectively disinfected after use, it may be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria transmitted from blood, mucous membranes, genital or rectal secretions, thus becoming a carrier for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria among patients. In addition, the frequent use of ultrasound probe and coupling agent is also an important factor affecting the occurrence of hospital infections. Multiple studies at home and abroad have shown that incomplete cleaning and disinfection of medical ultrasound probe can lead to hospital infection incidents, thereby affecting patient safety and medical quality. Exploring effective disinfection methods and disinfection effects of ultrasound probe is of great significance for hospital infection prevention and control. Therefore, this article provides a review of research related to disinfection of medical ultrasound probe.
Objectives To compare umbilical cord daily care protocol in the current clinical setting in which 75% alcohol sterile is used daily for the umbilical and surrounding skins with the WHO-recommended method (dry and clean). Methods A total of 283 full-term newborns were randomly divided into two groups: the trial group (n=181) receiving WHO “dry and clean” protocol that the umbilical cord was open to air (with losing clothes), cleaned by clear water instead of alcohol. The control group (n=102) used the traditional method that after the newborns’ bathing, the umbilical cord and surrounding skins were sterilized with 75% alcohol. The basic condition of the newborns, umbilical departure time and complications around the navel were assessed. And bacterial culture from the newborns’ skins was observed. Results There were no significant differences in departure time of the umbilical cord (7.64±3.29 day vs. 8.50±3.45 days t=1.82, Pgt;0.05), complications (6 patients with slight omphalitis in the trial group and 2 patients with slight omphalitis in the control group), and the skin flora culture between the two groups. The umbilical cord of the newborns dropped off safely. And no fever was found. Conclusion This study does not support that 75% alcohol can prevent the umbilical cord from being infected. Keeping the umbilical cord and surrounding skins dry is important for infection control.
Objective To study the disinfection effect of hand disinfectants containing alcohol after heating, and the comfortable feeling of using warm disinfectants among the medical staff in operation rooms. Methods Between November 2016 and January 2017, we analyzed the disinfection effect of two alcohol-containing hand disinfectants after heating in operation rooms through on-the-spot disinfection and inspection. Questionnaire was used to investigate the comfortable feeling of using warm hand disinfectants. Results After standing for 7 days at a temperature of 37℃, the major content of the two disinfectants decreased by less than 10%. Three minutes of disinfection by using the two kinds of disinfectants had an average natural-bacteria killing logarithm higher than 1.00, and they both had a qualified disinfection effect. Moreover, 96.7% of the medical personnel believed that warm disinfection products were more comfortable. Conclusion After heating, the two kinds of alcohol-containing hand disinfectants are effective in hand disinfection and more comfortable to use, which can improve hand hygiene compliance in surgical staff.
ObjectiveTo investigate the problems in the use of quick-drying hand disinfectants and formulate intervention measures to improve the hand hygiene compliance of nursing staff.MethodsFrom February 2014 to June 2016, the hand hygiene compliance of nursing staff was continuously observed according to the hand hygiene observation table recommended by the World Health Organization. The questionnaire on the use of quick-drying hand disinfectants, which passed the reliability and validity test, was used to find out the reasons leading to the low compliance rate of hand hygiene among nurses, and pertinent interventions were formulated. From November 2016 to December 2017, intervention measures were gradually implemented throughout the hospital, and the hand hygiene compliance of nursing staff was continuously observed again. Then we compared the compliance rate of hand hygiene and the compliance rate of hygienic hand disinfection among nurses in the second quarter of 2016 (before intervention) with those in the last quarter of 2017 (after intervention).ResultsThe compliance rates of hand hygiene and hygienic hand disinfection among nurses before intervention were 62.15% and 49.77%, respectively, and those after intervention were 91.64% and 90.80%, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).ConclusionThe factors affecting the hand hygiene compliance of nursing staff are identified through questionnaires and targeted intervention measures have effectively improved the hand hygiene compliance rate of nursing staff.
ObjectiveTo understand the economic burden of disinfection supply to medical institutions in Yibin City, and explore the feasibility of establishing a regional centralized management model of disinfection supply center in Yibin City.MethodsFrom April to May 2018, 263 medical institutions in the eight counties and two districts of Yibin City were investigated by means of mobile phone application-designed questionnaire, to obtain the information of cost accounting and economic burden of disinfection supply.ResultsThere were 263 medical institutions involved in the survey, in which 61 (23.19%) had set up the central sterile supply department (CSSD), including 43 public hospitals and 18 private hospitals; 202 medical institutions were without CSSD, which were mainly secondary hospitals [195 (74.14%), including 120 public hospitals and 75 private hospitals]. The higher the hospital level was, the larger the average area of the CSSD was; the difference was statistically significant (χ2=40.009, P<0.001). The higher the hospital level was, the more full-time personnel were employed, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=31.862, P<0.001), and the care staff were the majority (66.23%). The cost burden of CSSD was more than 1 million yuan in the tertiary hospitals, which was 100 000 yuan or above in 61.90% of the secondary hospitals, and was below 100 000 yuan in hospitals below secondary level. The higher the hospital level was, the higher the total cost burden became; the difference was statistically significant (χ2=37.995, P<0.001). ConclusionIn view of the heavy economic burden of CSSD in medical institutions and the unbalanced setting up of medical institutions below secondary level, the establishment of a regional CSSD centralized management model is a new direction, new trend, and new model for future development, which is conducive to improving the quality of disinfection and sterilization, reducing medical care costs, making rational use of health resources, effectively preventing hospital infections, and ensuring the medical safety.
The quality of disinfectant, disinfection devices and disposable medical devices is closely related to the patients' safety. Hospital infection management department must carry out the audit responsibilities for qualification documents of disinfectant, disinfection devices and disposable medical devices, to guarantee legality, safety and effectiveness of products used in hospital. This paper mainly introduces the implementation of qualification documents audit in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, including system construction, process reengineering, documents audit scope and key points, and document management.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has had a serious impact in the world. In the absence of vaccines and therapeutic drugs, disinfection has become an important technical means to block the spread of the virus. By analyzing the characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we studied a series of disinfection technologies for COVID-19. During the outbreak of COVID-19, Jinan Second Center for Disease Control and Prevention disinfected the houses of the cases to be investigated in a community. The effectiveness of the disinfection technology was verified through the process of disinfection preparation, sampling before disinfection, field disinfection, sampling after disinfection and evaluation of disinfection effect. Compared the data before and after disinfection, the killing rate of the total bacterial colonies in the air and on the surface of the object was more than or equal to 90%, and no SARS-CoV-2 was detected after disinfection. The results show that the disinfection effect of the disinfection technology meets the standard. Finally, through the analysis of the wrong way of disinfection and the harm of over disinfection, the importance of scientific disinfection and precise disinfection are emphasized, and the research has a good guiding value for prevention and control of the epidemic.