Environmental Safety
What is the first step when a biohazard spill occurs?
Restrict the area
What color are biohazard containers/bags?
Red
What does code red generally stand for?
Fire
(this may vary facility to facility)
When should the surgeon's preferences be communicated to the surgical team?
What is the difference between a serious reportable event (SRE) and a sentinel event?
Sentinel evens can be preventable and usually refers to a problem in the system that may result to similar events in the future. Sentinel events require immediate investigation.
What type of container should sharps and needles be disposed in?
Biohazard puncture resistant containers
What should be established on the sterile field when you will be passing sharps?
Neutral zone
What does the acronym PASS stand for?
Pull aim squeeze sweep
When do we perform the final count?
Before the incision is closed
What is an SRE (serious reportable event)? What kind of events would you report specifically as an SRE?
A serious, largely preventable, and harmful clinical events, designed to help the healthcare field assess, measure, and report performance in providing safe care
Surgical events (wrong patient, wrong side or procedure), product or device events, patient protection events, care management events, environmental events, radiologic events, potential criminal events (impersonating licensed healthcare provider)
What is the best way to evacuate surgical plume?
Suction
If you are splashed in the face/eyes or if you are poked with a sharp, what is the first thing you should do?
Stop, move away from the sterile field
What are some safety protocols during a laser procedure?
Wearing correct eye protection, avoid the use of oxygen and other flammable diseases, having irrigation fluid on the sterile field, don't let the tip of the laser sit on the drapes, control who can enter the room, place signs outside the room when in use, install window barriers
When do we perform the first surgical count?
Before the incision is made
What needs to be on specimen labels?
Patient name, DOB, date and time of collection, and source of the specimen
What surgical mask may be used to exhaust ventilation of the OR?
N95
If you do get a sharps injury, what form should you complete with your facility?
Incident Report Form
What does the acronym race stand for?
Remove, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish, Evacuate
Other than the first and last surgical count, what can indicate another surgical count?
Closing of a cavity or moving to a different surgical site
What is a sentinel event? What could these events include?
A patient safety event that results in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm
- falls, death, suicide, discharge of an infant to the wrong family, patient abduction, incorrect administration of blood or blood products, rape or assault, wrong patient, wrong surgery site, unintended retention of a foreign object
What is and SDS? What is the purpose of them?
Safety Data Sheet; documents required for chemical manufacturers, distributors, or importers to communicate the hazards of hazardous chemical products
What are some potential risks involved in laser procedures?
Tissue burns, eye damage, endotracheal tube fire, sterile drape fire, gas explosion, electrical damage
What is an extremely important part of the standard precautions and transmission-based precautions?
Hand hygiene
- Clean hands between procedures/patients
- Wash hands after eating or using the restroom
If a closing count is incorrect, what actions should occur?
If you are sending 5 specimen from the same patient to pathology, can you send them in the same bag or do they all have to be bagged separately?
Send in the same bag