Hyderabad: Other than saline bottles and medicines, there are 14 sites of infection in operation theatres and respiratory wards where patients with severe respiratory infections can spread bacteria in the air, which then breed.
Bacteria find their way via air-conditioner ducts, when there are low levels of humidity, through wet and leaking pipes in operation theatres etc. Water and low humidity are ideal for bacteria to breed, which hospitals should look into, said experts.
To ensure that bacteria do not get a chance to survive, private hospitals that are NABH accredited have opted for laminar flow ceilings wherein bacteria, viruses and dust particles are extracted before they can enter the area. There is very little turbulence in the air, and airtight welded pressure channels ensure that when a patient is “cut open for surgery” there are no organisms in the area.
Infographic
Dr A.V. Ratnam, expert in hospital administration and infection control, said, “Operation theatres now have filter housings or filter grids with HEPA filters which are used to clean the air. Care is taken to ensure that illumination and diffusion of air from these objects do not attract or allow bacteria. The protocol states that there must be different equipment used for different patients. At the same time, staff carrying out the sterilization process has to be well-trained and must wear protective gear. If these are properly followed than there is no infection. But only a few private hospitals are following the norms strictly. Government hospitals must also follow the drill.”
There is a government protocol set for maintaining operation theatres and sterilization. After every operation, the table has to be properly cleaned, walls disinfected, and the room has to be closed without taking another patient for the next two to three hours.
Dr Naresh Kumar Reddy, operation theatre maintenance in-charge in a private hospital, said, “It is very important for surgeons to not go out of the operation theatre when a body has been opened up. This is because their dress also carries bacteria. These are small but very important points as bacteria cling to small aspects and find their way out. For this reason, a different sterilized dress for operations is important. And every night, all operation theatres have to be fumigated with fogging machines.”
An infection control committee comprising a microbiologist, an intensive care unit specialist and two para-medical staff have to collect swabs from the operation table, floor, wash basin, walls, trolleys and also equipment and get them tested for bacteria, virus or fungal infection every month. These help to keep hospitals infection free.
