Although healthcare professionals have long understood the risks associated with unsanitary medical equipment, new research in epidemiology has revealed that portable medical equipment is a common source of disease transmission in hospitals. This research was conducted by Dr. Chetan Jindatha of Texas A&M, in conjunction with several healthcare institutions located throughout Texas. Jindatha’s goal was to identify which high-touch surfaces harbor the greatest potential for disease transmission, and to assess the extent to which these surfaces are effectively cleaned and sanitized. After recording and analyzing their observations, Jindatha and his team found that portable patient care devices such as computers on wheels, IV pumps, vitals machines and overbed tables often have a particularly high risk of contamination. These pieces of medical equipment are frequently transferred between rooms, and it’s not always clear whose responsibility it is to maintain their cleanliness. “If you ask hospital leadership, they will say it is everyone’s responsibility,” said Jindatha in an interview with Infection Control Today. “But it also depends on whether the workforce is a unionized or non-unionized workforce. Are we going to tell nurses to do it, or are we going to put it on environmental services (EVS) personnel?” Regardless of who is responsible for these cleaning duties, it’s important for healthcare facilities to maintain a system of accountability that ensures mobile computer stations and other portable pieces of equipment are thoroughly sanitized each and every time they’re moved from one room to another. Administrators should also make sure that all staff members are educated about the dangers of disease transmission on high-touch surfaces. “While items on wheels have a convenience factor for healthcare personnel, they have critical infection prevention and control implications,” Jindatha continued in his interview.
With this in mind, it’s up to all of us in the healthcare industry to mitigate the risk of disease transmission by remaining vigilant in our cleaning and sanitation practices.
It might seem insignificant, but a task as simple as cleaning a computer keyboard or an overbed table with disinfectant wipes can make an important difference in a hospital setting. Together, we can all do our part to improve patient safety and prevent the spread of contagious diseases.