Answers to Case Studies
Answer to Case Study #1:
Fumigation with a formaldehyde product is an ineffective practice. It is not only time consuming but formaldehyde is a toxic agent with serious health consequences for those who inhale the fumes. Formaldehyde use has limited applications (mainly laboratory) and should never be used for reducing microbial contamination of air and environmental surfaces. If a case is septic, the room should be thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed with a detergent and a 0.5% chlorine solution.
Answer to Case Study #2:
The circulator is right to insist that the spill be cleaned immediately. One of the surgical team members could slip on the puddle and be seriously injured. If the spill is large, the nurse should saturate the area with a 0.5% chlorine solution and wipe it up with a cloth or mop, and then clean the floor with a disinfectant cleaning solution. If the spill is small, the nurse should saturate a cloth with the 0.5% chlorine solution and wipe it up. TIP: If sterile or HLD gloves are available, place one glove over the handle of the speculum at the beginning of the procedure. It will contain the blood and eliminate the need for clean up.
Answer to Case Study #3:
When the sisters were hired, they should have had infection prevention training. They would have learned that sweeping with a dry sweeper or broom scatters dust and dirt rather than trapping it. Floors should be mopped with a damp mop and surgical theaters should be dusted with a damp cloth. All surgical theater furniture should be dusted every morning to decrease wound infections. This applies to both theaters that are used daily and those that are not.
Answer to Case Study #4:
This practice is not appropriate. It is not possible to sterilize walls, and using a glutaraldehyde solution to clean surfaces such as walls is a poor use of resources, since using many liters of solution is costly. In addition, the fumes from the chemical can be irritating to staff.
At the end of each day, the floor should be mopped and the walls, fixtures, and countertops wiped down with a disinfectant cleaning solution.
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