What can I do to help prevent it ????

Of all illnesses, infections are among the most common cause of death in U.S. hospitals. Hospital acquired infections are now recognized as a major cause of sickness and death.
Infectious diseases are the third leading cause of death in the U.S.; hospital-acquired infections are the fourth, translating to 100,000 deaths every year. All together, about two million patients or about one in 20 contract an infection after they're admitted to a hospital. A surviving patient with a very serious infection can end up enduring weeks, months or years of treatment and rehabilitation.

The CDC lists the 4 most common hospital-acquired infections as: Urinary tract infections (UTI) 32% Surgical Site infections 22% Pneumonia (lung infections)15% Bloodstream infections 14%

Old School

Bowel Isolation Technique

Objectives Upon completion of this module you will be able to:

Define the rationale for use of the Bowel Isolation Technique during a gastrointestinal anastomosis. Describe how to prepare the surgical field for bowel isolation. Describe how to isolate clean and dirty items during and after anastomosis has been completed.

Bowel Isolation Rationale

Instruments, suture, and equipment used during the open gastrointestinal tract contain microorganisms that can lead to surgical site infections.

Isolation of instruments and supplies used during bowel anastomosis can reduce the chance of a post-operative infection.

Bowel Isolation Technique

All supplies and instruments needed for the Bowel Isolation Technique should be placed in a large basin. Items may include the following: Towels x 2 Needle Counter GIA Stapler New Suction Tip Suction Hose Needle Driver x 2 Debakey Forceps x 2 Curved Mayo Allis x 3 Sponge Stick Bovie

Bowel Isolation Technique

Before opening bowel:
Drape towels around surgical site and any place where there is potential exposure to open bowel contents. Clear off mayo stand and drape with additional towels before adding items for the anastomosis: New needle counter Needle drivers Debakey forceps Suture Identify a neutral zone for contaminated sharps.

Bowel Isolation Technique During Anastomosis: Have a large basin available for grossly contaminated instrument, stapler and specimen. Do not return contaminated

instruments or supplies to the back table.

If additional instruments are needed, use a sponge stick to retrieve clean instruments from the back table.

Bowel Isolation Technique

Once bowel is closed and anastomosis is complete:
Return all instruments and supplies, (sponges, suction tip, staplers and towels) that were used during the anastomosis, back into the blue basin. Close isolation needle counter and place inside of basin. Basin with dirty instruments, supplies and needle counter are handed off of the surgical field.

Bowel Isolation Technique

The Surgical Technologist changes gown and gloves and assists other team members with changing both gowns and gloves.

Attending surgeon Assistants

Once each team member has changed, they may return to surgical field and continue with the procedure and future counts. Circulator will lay out Dirty instrumentation and countable to be counted during counts