Unveiling subtle blood contamination on scrubbed theatre staff
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Unveiling subtle blood contamination on scrubbed operating theatre staff and the theatre environment
IRAS ID
341463
Contact name
Sarah Fieldhouse
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Staffordshire University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
In the surgical setting, members of the operating theatre staff are frequently exposed to blood contamination during medical procedures. To mitigate this risk, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is routinely employed to safeguard both patients and healthcare personnel by effectively containing and minimizing the transmission of bodily fluids. A particular concern arises from the potential transmission of blood splatter onto uncovered body parts of healthcare workers, which represents a significant source of contamination. Notably, such blood splatter may often remain imperceptible to the human eye, thereby eluding immediate detection (1).
Some Health organizations, such as the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), strongly recommend using PPEs to protect surgeons against blood splatter into their eyes (2, 3). COVID-19 pandemic led to increased compliance and acceptance of PPEs (4). However, while it is recommended that healthcare professionals utilize eye protection equipment during surgical procedures, attitudes and compliance to their use in practice is still variable and inconsistent among different healthcare staff (5-8).
This study proposal focuses on identifying hidden blood contamination on the protective gear of surgical staff and the environment at Glan Clwyd Hospital. Staff not wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like masks and eye protection can get, tiny, invisible blood splatters on their faces during operations. The study aims to reveal these unseen dangers using forensic methods and to understand how well the cleaning processes work after surgeries.
The study will use advanced techniques and tools to detect blood. Results will be analyzed to see if there's a link between the surgery type and blood splatter.
The findings will be crucial for improving safety and cleaning methods in operating theatres to protect the health of medical staff and patients from infections. This study will provide new insights into the risks of surgery and help theatres become even safer.References
1. Ansari A, Ramaiah P, Collazo L, Salihu HM, Haiduven D. Comparison of visual versus microscopic methods to detect blood splatter from an intravascular catheter with engineered sharps injury protection. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013;34(11):1174-80.
2. Wines MP, Lamb A, Argyropoulos AN, Caviezel A, Gannicliffe C, Tolley D. Blood splash injury: an underestimated risk in endourology. J Endourol. 2008;22(6):1183-7.
3. Humphreys H, Bak A, Ridgway E, Wilson APR, Vos MC, Woodhead K, et al. Rituals and behaviours in the operating theatre – joint guidelines of the Healthcare Infection Society and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. The Journal of hospital infection. 2023;140:165.e1-.e28.
4. Swaminathan R, Mukundadura BP, Prasad S. Impact of enhanced personal protective equipment on the physical and mental well-being of healthcare workers during COVID-19. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2022;98(1157):231-3.
5. Gordon L, Young E. Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) and Transmission Based Precautions (TBPs) Literature Review: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Eye/Face protection. Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection Scotland; 2020.
6. Cochrane J, Jersby M. When to wear personal protective equipment to prevent infection. Br J Nurs. 2019;28(15):982-4.
7. Shwe S, Sharma AA, Lee PK. Personal Protective Equipment: Attitudes and Behaviors Among Nurses at a Single University Medical Center. Cureus. 2021;13(12):e20265.
8. McGaw CD, Tennant I, Harding HE, Cawich SO, Crandon IW, Walters C. Healthcare workers' attitudes to and compliance with infection control guidelines in the operating department at the university hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica. International Journal of Infection Control. 2012;8(3).REC name
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REC reference
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