Infection Control in Medical Procedures

Room Setup and Equipment

The procedure room should have dedicated areas with controlled access, proper ventilation systems, and clear documentation of all processes, with negative pressure ventilation being ideal for infection control, and if not available, ensuring high air exchange cycles (≥25 exchanges/hour) 1
Only essential equipment should be kept in the procedure room to minimize contamination risk, with pre-prepared sterilizable steel wire baskets containing all required surgical materials being available 1
Alcohol-based hand disinfectant must be readily available in the room, and appropriate waste disposal containers must be present, including separate containers for infectious and sharp disposable instruments 1

Room must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after each procedure, with all surfaces and electromedical devices being accurately cleaned and disinfected 1
Proper disinfection protocols for reusable equipment must be documented and followed, with sufficient time allowed between procedures to reduce air contamination 1
Special attention should be paid during aerosol-generating procedures (intubation, extubation, etc.), and single-use airway equipment should be preferred whenever possible 1

All personnel must wear appropriate PPE before entering the procedure room, including double gloves, protective goggles or face shield, fluid-resistant gown, and appropriate respiratory protection (N95/FFP2/FFP3 masks) 1
Patient should be transported to the procedure room via a planned route to minimize environmental contamination, with medical records remaining outside the procedure room and consulted/updated after adequate doffing 1
Door must remain closed throughout the procedure, with personnel not leaving the room during the procedure, and minimizing the number of personnel present to only those essential for the procedure [1] [2]
All non-intubated patients should wear a surgical mask, and all healthcare personnel should wear personal protective equipment (PPE) including double gloves, protective goggles or face shield, fluid-resistant gown, FFP2/FFP3 mask, long leg covers, and a cap before contacting the patient 1

Recovery phase should be conducted in the procedure room before transferring the patient, with PPE being removed and disposed of in designated doffing areas outside the procedure room 3
All disposable materials must be properly disposed of according to biomedical waste management protocols, with procedure room utilization log, equipment maintenance records, and cleaning and disinfection logs being maintained 1
After the patient leaves the operating room, sufficient time should be allowed before the next procedure to reduce air contamination, and all medical records should be kept outside the operating room 1

All staff must be trained on infection control practices, proper use of PPE, and emergency protocols, with regular drills being conducted to ensure preparedness, and documentation of staff training and competency assessments being maintained 2
Regular audits should be conducted on proper donning and doffing techniques, with standardized documentation systems and regular audits being implemented to ensure poor documentation is addressed 1
Improper PPE usage can be addressed by conducting regular training and audits on proper donning and doffing techniques, with inadequate cleaning between cases being addressed by establishing clear protocols and sufficient time between procedures for proper disinfection 1

COVID-19 patients should be operated on in a separate operating room area (COVID Operating Area - COA) to minimize the risk of infection transmission, and this area should be located near the entrance of the operating room block and isolated from other areas 1
Patients should be transported to the operating room via a planned route and by the same personnel from start to finish to reduce the risk of infection transmission 1