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Cardiac Catheterisation
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| On Jul 10 2006 12:21PM sarah.turner wrote: |
Does anybody have any infection prevention & control precautions for cardiac catheterisations? We are in the process of opening up a new centre and we are asking staff participating in the procedure to ensure that they are wearing theatre hats and masks. I know that cardiac catheterisations are not the same as inserting central lines, but the lab where the procedure is taking place has full theatre ventilation and we thought we would take the opportunity of making the procedure as sterile as possible. Now the cardiac consultants are 'kicking up a stink' and I would like some evidence (other than CVC stuff) which would help prove or disprove our recommendations.
Thanks
Sarah |
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| On Sep 4 2006 7:44PM jb4848 wrote: |
Sarah
I work in a acute care hospital that does 700 hearts/year plus. We also do
laser lead extractions, insertion pacemakers, internal defibrillators and
bi-ventricular pacemakers within our OR suite when so many other cardiac
centres in North America are doing these procedures in the cardiac
catheterization suites or EP suites. Why? Because sterile technique in
these "other than" main OR places is infamously poor whether performed by
cardiology or nursing. For whatever reason, within Canadian Operating Rooms
sterile technique is clearly defined and driven by a bonded nursing/surgeon
relationship with one purpose...no infections. For whatever reason within
the few Canadian hospital"s cardiac catherization labs I have been exposed
to, sterile technique appears to be driven by the cardiologists and gets a
failing grade in my books for it. Nursing appears relatively powerless,
possibly unaware of how poor (therefore, unsafe) their "sterile technique"
truly is...often because cardiac cath nurses are not routinely (if ever)
trained in an Operating Room.
A bit of research on national infection rates in similar cath labs might
help establish a rate your consultants can be held to.
In your own setting tracking infection rates is important from the get go
but granted possibly difficult as these are usually same day admit and
discharge patients and somehow, post- catheterization infections get lost
for lack of follow-up and interest.
Ideally, swinging your recruited catheterization nurses through an OR
orientation can at least expose them to the standard optimum physician/nurse
sterile technique. This might then result in a patient safety driven
"sterile technique" standard for your new cath lab. Cardiac catheterization
is not an exception to sterile technique, though certain specialists seem to
think it is. These are wires and balloon catheters going directly into your
heart.
Jane Barry
RN CNOR
ICP
Victoria, B.C.
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 ICNA Community Network MeetingPlease note the next Community ICNA meeting is on the, Wednesday 6th September 2006 and will be held at Eastman Dental Hospital, London.
To download the agenda go to the CICNN page under 'Business and Special Interest Groups' (Member access required)
... More
The 36th Annual Infection Control ConferenceSeptember 25th to 27th 2006
The Brighton Centre
Brighton, England
This is THE Infection control conference of the year, focusing on prevention and control of infections in all areas of healthcare. The conference will provide a mixture of lectures, debates, concurrent sessions, workshops and networking.
Leading international Speakers who have already confirmed include Dr Seto Wing Hong and Stuart Emslie.
To be kept up to date with br... More
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