IPC IN PERIOPERATIVE CARE

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PREPARED BY; YVONNE MAKOKHA

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AAR HOSPITAL

Private & Confidential

Private & Confidential

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) during perioperative care is critical for ensuring patient safety and reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)

Effective IPC strategies enhance patient safety, reduce complications, and improve overall surgical outcomes.

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Introduction

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1.Infection prevention and control programs

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2. National and facility level infection prevention and control guidelines

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3. Infection prevention and control education and training.

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4. Health care-associated infection surveillance.

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5. Multimodal strategies for implementing infection prevention and control activities.

THE CORE COMPONENTS OF IPC INCLUDE:

Preoperative phase

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1. Screening and Risk Assessment:

• Identification of Existing Infections eg skin infections or any systemic infections or conditions that need treatment or may compromise immune function.

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• Preoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis Planning

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2. Patient skin preparation

• Pre op patient showering

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• Hair removal,Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and or povidon iodine, timing of drying, consider allergies.

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Private & Confidential

3. Sterilization of Instruments

• Decontamination and cleaning before Sterilization i.e manual or ultrasonic

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• Packaging for Sterilization

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• Sterilization Methods, commonly used is steam sterilization.

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• Sterility Assurance Monitoring

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• Storage and Handling of Sterilized Instruments

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4. Hand hygiene

• Preoperative Hand Hygiene-surgical hand scrub with ongoing surveillance of hand hygiene practices with feedback

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Intraoperative phase

1. Aseptic Technique

• Maintaining a sterile field through sterile draping, use of sterile instruments and equipment and movement restrictions around the sterile field.

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2. Antibiotic Prophylaxis

• Administering appropriate antibiotics an hour before surgery to prevent surgical site infections.

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3. Proper Gloving Techniques:

• Open/closed gloving techniques

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4. Surgical Site Asepsis -i.e skin prep and incision draping

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5. Prevention of Cross-Contamination

• double gloving,wearing surgical attire, etc

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6. Environmental control- HVAC and staff traffic control, cleaning protocols

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Postoperative Phase

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1. Wound care instructions and Monitoring

• use of sterile dressing material, regular wound monitoring for signs of infection, and wound cleaning using appropriate antiseptics, following guidelines for proper aseptic technique

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2. Environmental Cleaning

• Cleaning Protocols in Postoperative care units and use of sterile instruments when dressing wounds.

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3. Patient Education

• on hand hygiene, wound care and signs of infection

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Key IPC Roles in Perioperative Care

Prevention of Surgical Site Infections (SSIs):

IPC measures reduce the risk of SSIs, which can lead to complications and delayed recovery.

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Aseptic and Sterile Techniques:

Proper techniques are crucial for maintaining sterility and preventing the introduction of pathogens.

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Monitoring and Surveillance:

Continuous monitoring for infections and compliance with IPC practices to ensure a safe perioperative environment.

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Training and Education:

Educating healthcare workers and patients on best practices to prevent infections and ensure safety throughout the surgical process.

Thank you.

Private & Confidential

AAR Hospital

Kiambu Road

5km off Thika Highway

Nairobi

Kenya