Ideas That Work: Infection Prevention

Personal mobile devices are a breeding ground for bacteria, so make sure the phones, devices and laptops used throughout your facility don’t pose infection risks. I collected random observations of personal device use in the OR during a single day and utilized a rapid Adenosine Triphosphate (ATB) test and a luminometer to assess surface hygiene. A unit of cleanliness as a relative light unit (RLU) was revealed, ranging from ultra clean (0 to 10 RLUs) to filthy (more than 1,000 RLUs). The level of cleanliness was measured before and after a cleansing wipe was used. Before cleaning, vendors’ devices harbored the most bacteria at over 1,500 RLUs (filthy). CRNAs carried the second dirtiest devices with an average RLU score of 305 (dirty). We now stock touchscreen cleaning wipes that staff and vendors use to wipe down their devices. The wipes are available in locker rooms, at the nurse’s desk and outside ORs. It takes only seconds to sanitize cell phones, tablets and laptops and, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak, providers should make sure these items don’t transmit pathogens to patients.

Lynn Radzinski, BSN, RN, CNOR
UCHealth Inverness Orthopedics and Spine Surgery Center
Englewood, Colo.
[email protected]