Key Points
➤ The potential for clinically significant microbial cross-transmission in the
intraoperative environment poses a threat to patient safety.
➤ A growing body of literature has shown contamination in the anesthesia
work area, including the anesthesia medical work cart, stopcocks,
laryngeal masks and laryngoscope blades, touchscreens, and keyboards,
as well as on providers' hands, resulting in transmissions, healthcare-
associated infections, and increased risk of patient mortality.
Hand Hygiene
➤ Hand hygiene (HH) ideally should be performed following the WHO 5
Moments for Hand Hygiene (Figure 1). The authors recommend that HH
be performed at the minimum before aseptic tasks (eg, inserting central
venous catheters, inserting arterial catheters, drawing medications, spiking
IV bags); after removing gloves; when hands are soiled or contaminated (eg,
oropharyngeal secretions); before touching the contents of the anesthesia
cart; and when entering and exiting the operating room (OR) (even after
removing gloves).
Recommendations
Reproduced, with permission of the publisher, from "Five Moments for Hand Hygiene," World Health
Organization, 2009, http://www.who.int/gpsc/tools/Five_moments/en/, accessed Nov 2018. All rights reserved.
Figure 1. WHO's 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene in Acute Care Settings
