Evaluation of the application of principles and methods of infection control in operating rooms: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Background and Aim: Nosocomial infections are one of the big problems and wound infection is one of the most important complications after surgery. The operating room wards are potential locations for nosocomial infections due to the specific conditions. So, adherence to standards of infection control is the key to preventing infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of infection control principles and methods by staff in the operating room.Methods and Materials: This is a descriptive cross sectional study that was performed on five operating room sections and 10 surgical units of hospital affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Data gathering tool consisted of a researcher-made questionnaire (including 60 items about infection control in operating room) and its validity was measure by CVI, CVR. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistic (t-test).Results: The findings showed that the staff performance was average in the methods of disinfection technique (89.50%), personal knowledge about hygiene (78.2%) and the operating appliances (85%). The findings also showed that operating room facilities were far from standards in terms of infection control methods.Conclusions: The findings of the study showed the need to review the physical space, facilities and equipment of operating rooms and to train the personnel on the principles of infection control and strict monitoring and control over their performance. So policy makers should give appropriate plan for health care workers.

Keywords:

Operating rooms , Infection control , Personnel