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ASC Infection Control Surveys: What Are They Finding?
CDC researcher says unsafe infection practices, improper equipment reprocessing and poor environmental cleaning persist.
Published:June 29, 2011
Improper injection practices, equipment reprocessing errors and poor environmental cleaning are some of the most common lapses identified at ambulatory surgery centers during government infection control surveys, says a leading researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a presentation at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Annual Conference in Baltimore this week, CDC Medical Officer Melissa Schaefer, MD, unveiled the notable findings from state surveyors who are using a CDC/CMS infection control worksheet to identify lapses as ASCs.
Persistent problems
"If there's one thing we've all learned from Seinfeld, it's that you should never, ever double dip," Dr. Schaefer told a packed meeting room of infection prevention professionals from ambulatory care settings Monday. The one-liner, a reference to the practice of reentering a vial or IV bag of medication with a used needle or syringe, helped to lighten the mood, but the chuckles gave way to audible gasps when Dr. Schaefer laid out some of the real-world consequences that have been reported just in the past few months. For example, in April a Colorado clinic notified parents of children who received flu shots that they should be tested for HIV and hepatitis after it was discovered that a medical assistant was splitting vaccine doses and reusing syringes on multiple patients.
Ongoing efforts
Dr. Schaefer listed a number of ways government agencies are continuing to address the issues identified during ASC infection control surveys.
Have you had your infection control survey yet? OSM has advice on how to ace your next inspection here.
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