Surgical handwashing practices of operating room staff: An observational study.

OBJECTIVE: This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to assess the surgical handwashing practices of operating room staff. DESIGN: Single-blind study. METHODS: The study was conducted with 66 staff (surgeons and operating room nurses) employed in the surgery department of a university hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using a Staff Information Form prepared in light of the literature to collect the participants' sociodemographic data and the Surgical Hand Washing Procedure Checklist developed according to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and Association of Surgical Technologists (AST). The staff assigned to operating rooms were identified, and then, their surgical handwashing practices were observed by one of the researchers. FINDINGS: Of the participants, 77.3% were dressed suitable to the operating room field, 56.1% appropriately wet both of their hands and forearms, and 72.7% used a sufficient amount of antiseptic solution (3-5 ml) in their palms. More than half of them (51.5%) inappropriately performed the procedure of surgical handwashing (applying an antiseptic solution to hands and arms with circular motions, starting from the fingertips up to 3-5 cm above their elbows for a minute), and 47% incorrectly performed the procedure of rinsing hands and arms while keeping the hands above the elbows under running water and passing arms through the water in one direction during this process. CONCLUSION: In the study, it was determined that none of the team members completed the preparation, application and drying steps of the surgical handwashing procedure. Therefore, it is necessary to make arrangements that will facilitate the handwashing procedures of the personnel. Personnel-related problems, such as the duration of washing and drying methods, are possible to be avoided with periodic in-service training and with posters demonstrating the washing stages, which might lead to behavioural changes.

Physiological and psychological effects of ambient noise in operating room on medical staff.

BACKGROUND: The study was conducted to assess operating room noise levels and to investigate its effects on medical staff. METHODS: Single-blind study. This study was conducted with 92 medical staff working in 11 operating rooms of a university hospital. Data was collected using a personal information form and sound level measuring devices. Sound measurements were made 3 days a week in the morning and in the afternoon, twice a day and lasted 15 min each. Mean values of the measurements in each room were collected and recommended maximum values for operating rooms (35 dB during daytime) by the World Health Organization were set as a reference point. RESULTS: The highest noise level was measured in orthopaedic (67.5 dB), and the lowest in gynaecology room (55.5 dB). Daily mean noise level of all operating rooms was 60.90 dB. Noise disturbance score measured with Visual Analogue Scale was 6.66 ± 1.84. Of the medical staff, 84.8% were physiologically, 93.5% psychologically, and 82.6% both physiologically and psychologically affected. Of those affected physiologically, 51.1% experienced fatigue, and 33.7% headache, and of those affected psychologically, 43.5% experienced inattentiveness, 34.8% agitation and 15.2% restlessness. Only 4.34% reported not being affected by the noise. CONCLUSION: Operating room noise levels were higher than normal limits set by the World Health Organization, which affected the medical staff both physiologically and psychologically. Since experienced negativities may reduce medical staff's motivation and increase error making, making arrangements to control noise levels is recommended.