Páginas: 19 págs.
SUMMARY

(1) A named consultant in each department of anaesthesia should liaise with Trust Infection Control Teams and Occupational Health Departments to ensure relevant specialist standards are established and monitored in all areas of anaesthetic practice.
(2) Precautions against transmission of infection between patient and anaesthetist or between patients should be a routine part of anaesthetic practice. In particular, anaesthetists must ensure that hand hygiene becomes an indispensable part of their clinical culture.
(3) Anaesthetists must comply with local theatre infection control policies including safe use and disposal of sharps.
(4) Anaesthetic equipment is a potential vector for transmission of disease. Insufficient care has been applied in the past in decontaminating and sterilising items for reuse. Policies should be documented to ensure that nationally recommended decontamination practices are followed and audited for all reusable anaesthetic equipment.
(5) Single use equipment should be utilised where appropriate but reusable items should be processed by a central sterile supplies department.
(6) A new bacterial/viral filter should be used for every patient and a local policy applied to the reuse of breathing circuits in line with manufacturer?s instructions.
(7) Appropriate infection control precautions should be established for each anaesthetic procedure to include maximal barrier precautions for the insertion of central venous catheters, spinal and epidural procedures and any invasive procedures in high risk patients.
(8) All anaesthetists should be aware of the risk of occupational transmission of serious communicable diseases. Close liaison with the Occupational Health Department is required to ensure appropriate vaccination and regular assessment of immune status for TB and HBV.
(9) A clearly documented procedure to obtain urgent 24 hour medical advice and supervision must be available following any possible exposure to a serious communicable disease.