Irfan Mirza.
Sterilization and disinfection: the prevailing indifference
Pak J Surg Oct - Dec 2007;23(4):229-33.
Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of health care professionals towards the process of sterilization and disinfection, and to check the adequacy of the reading material accessible to them. Design & Duration: Prospective cross study conducted in October-November 2006. Setting: Teaching hospitals of Punjab. Materials & Methodology: The study comprised of three components. In the first part, sections devoted to this subject in the popular books read by the students of operation theatre assistant course and students of diploma in general nursing were examined for adequacy and authenticity of information. In the second part, standard operating procedures were examined regarding sterilization of textile, rubber tubes of suction units and diathermy hand pieces of 20 operation theatres of three teaching hospitals attached to undergraduate medical colleges of Punjab. In the third part of the study, working knowledge of 64 practicing operation theatre assistants and 57 practicing nurses was assessed through a questionnaire. Results: It was found that popular hooks either did not contain the required information or the information provided was misleading or incorrect. Standard operating procedures for sterilization of elected items of all the operation theatres studied fell much below the standard of practice desired in the light of current knowledge and contemporary practices. Finally, the working knowledge of the professionals studied was much below the hare minimum expected by the profession. Conclusion: There is a dire need for upgrading the knowledge and attitude of health care professionals regarding sterilization, besides improving the operation theatres sterilization procedures.

Category: Community Medicine
Keywords: Sterilization. Disinfection.

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