Question

Cleaning and Disinfecting Surfaces and Equipment Reusable equipment and surfaces that have been contaminated by blood or other potentially infectious materials need to be properly cleaned and disinfected before the equipment is put back into service or the area is reopened. Clean and disinfect surfaces and equipment as soon as possible after the incident occurs. Remember to wear appropriate PPE. If blood or other potentially infectious materials have spilled on the floor or another surface, prevent others from accessing the area. If the spill contains a sharp object (e.g., shards of broken glass), do not pick the object up with your hands. Instead, use tongs, a disposable scoop and scraper, or two pieces of cardboard to remove and dispose of the object. Wipe up or absorb the spill using absorbent towels or a solidifier (a fluid-absorbing powder). After wiping up the spill, flood the area with a freshly mixed disinfectant solution of approximately 1½ cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water (1 part bleach to 9 parts water, or about a 10 percent solution). When using a bleach solution, always ensure good ventilation and wear gloves and eye protection. Let the bleach solution stand on the surface for at least 10 minutes. Then use clean absorbent materials (such as paper towels) to wipe up the disinfectant solution and dry the area. Dispose of all materials used to clean up the blood spill in a labeled biohazard container. If a biohazard container is not available, place the soiled materials in a sealable plastic bag or a plastic container with a lid, seal the container and dispose of it properly.

Answer the following questions in your own words

QUESTION:

How do you clean or disinfect a surface or equipment used in an emergency?

Answer 1

In the emergency medical services (EMS), standard operating procedures (SOP) should be followed while disinfecting the surface and the equipments therein. When the surface or the equipments of the emergency service get contaminated by blood or some infectious secretion, the materials or surface should immediately thoroughly cleaned by potential disinfectant solution. Further the operator must take the necessary safety steps while on duty in the EMS. They should wear gloves, mask, PPE throughout the working hours. If some utensils including sharp objects fall on the ground it should not be touched with naked hands as there might be some infections associated with it. Hence all the healthcare personnel should use a tong while wearing the gloves as well. Further the floor surface must be thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant solution (bleaching solution, strengh 10%) after wiping out the spilled material with absorbent towel. Bleaching time must be not less than 10 mins for complete disinfection of the surface of the floor or any equipment therein followed by wiping with paper towels. Care must be taken to minimize the cross contamination in the EMS setting. Moreover, all the utensils must be thrown out in a fixed place in a closed and lebelled container. All the hospital settings have their allotted place for discarding the used utensils. Extra care must be taken care of while discarding the infectious utensils and sharp objects and those must be placed in the closed and labelled biohazards container. Further in case of non availability of the containers, all the utensils must be discarded in labelled plastic bag and discarded properly. This SOP must be followed in all the EMS setting of hospital/medical care centre.