Contamination of equipment and surfaces in the operating room anesthesia workspace: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

The transmission of microorganisms in healthcare settings, including perioperative areas, has become a potential concern in recent studies. The occupancy of spaces by previously colonized or infected patients increases the risk of acquiring multidrug-resistant microorganisms, emphasizing the critical importance of robust cleaning and disinfection procedures. [1][2] The persistence of contamination on environmental surfaces has been linked to insufficient cleaning practices in operating rooms and anesthesia workspaces. This is of particular concern as eliminating multidrug-resistant microorganisms from these surfaces is a key strategy to mitigate the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that significantly contribute to morbidity, mortality, and extended hospital stays. [2][3][4][5] The existing [3][4][5][6] cleaning practices in operating rooms and anesthesia work areas are inadequate; therefore, environmental surfaces remain contaminated. Removing multidrug-resistant microorganisms from operating room surfaces is essential to minimizing the risk of HAIs.Furthermore, HAIs contribute to major public health problems by increasing morbidity and mortality rates and prolonging the hospitalization time of patients. [1][2][3][4][5] In particular, surgical patients with open wounds are at a higher risk; 6 therefore, the potential for cross-transmission in the intraoperative environment poses a threat to patient safety. 7Contamination in the anesthesia work area, including the anesthesia cart, faucets, laryngeal masks, laryngoscope blades, touchscreens, keyboards, and the hands of professionals, can result in the transmission of infections that promote health risks, highlighting pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation (PAVM). [1][2][3][4]8 Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is characterized as an infectious disease with an imprecise diagnosis and multiple causes, which allows divergent recommendations related to preventive measures, diagnosis, and treatment. [9][10][11] Because 24 h of intubation in invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) favor the colonization of microorganisms in the lower airways, orotracheal