AN EVALUATION OF CONTROL INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION IN THE OPERATING ROOM

A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

The control of environmental contamination in the operating room is an important measure to control infection in surgical sites. Therefore, this study aimed at identifying if minimum control patterns of environmental contamination are being considered by health professionals who perform their activities in operating rooms. The research was developed in a public general hospital and data were collected in the month of January, 2000, through the observation of gynecological and obstetrical operations using previously elaborated instruments, totaling 23 anaesthetic-surgical procedures observed. Subsequently, the authors carried out a descriptive and mathematical-statistical analysis using the absolute frequency and percentage. When analyzing the set of items for Pattern 1, which refers to the cleaning and preparation of the operating room, and those for Pattern 2, which are related to the principles of surgical asepsis, we found that most of the procedures were carried out by the professionals performing in the unit according to the patterns preconized by literature. However, some of the evaluated items showed the need for a re-evaluation of the practices developed by the health team regarding the control of environmental contamination as well as for the professionals’ up-dating on technical and scientific advancements for infection control in surgical sites.