Ecolab Healthcare Launces Encompass O.R. to Improve Hygiene
In late March, Ecolab Inc. launched the EnCompass™ O.R. Environmental Hygiene program, which provides healthcare facilities with a proven approach to improve the cleanliness of operating rooms (O.R.) and reduce the risk of infections. The training and education program has received the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) “Seal of Recognition” for meeting the guidelines set forth in AORN’s Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices.
“Proper environmental cleaning is essential for effective patient care in the operating room because high-touch surfaces can harbor infection-causing pathogens if not disinfected thoroughly, every time,” said Philip C. Carling, MD, director of Infectious Diseases at Carney Hospital in Boston and advisor to Ecolab Healthcare. “In fact, a recent study to determine if high-touch surfaces in the operating room were effectively disinfected found that only 25 percent (237 of 946 targeted surfaces) were cleaned properly. The study also found that enhanced staff training and education yielded significant improvements.[1]”
The new EnCompass O.R. program builds upon Ecolab’s comprehensive EnCompass Environmental Hygiene program for patient rooms, bringing its standardized processes, training, objective monitoring, automated reporting, and effective cleaning tools and products to the operating room. It includes DAZO® fluorescent marking gel for monitoring surface cleanliness and an iPod mobile app for easy tracking and real-time reporting of environmental hygiene results.
In addition, to optimize operating room turnover efficiency, Ecolab offers the CleanOp® Room Turnover System, a line of single-use products that support infection prevention. A CleanOp system contains operating room table linen, bags, mops and wipes and is configured to the hospital’s specific needs. Single-use microfiber mops and wipes and Mojave® O.R. table sheets, which feature a 3-layer material comprised of an impervious bottom layer, a super absorbent middle layer, and a top patient comfort layer, help reduce the risk of cross contamination between surgical procedures. The CleanOp system facilitates easy access to necessary supplies to both clean an O.R. suite and quickly set it up for the next procedure.
“We know the positive impact environmental hygiene has on preventing infections and have developed the EnCompass O.R. program to give perioperative staff the right tools, training and programmatic approach based on best practices, to improve O.R. turnover efficiency, more accurately measure outcomes and drive continuous improvement,” said Paul B. Chaffin, senior vice president and general manager for Ecolab Healthcare North America.
Recommendations from the Joint Commission, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) include standardizing cleaning and monitoring cleaning results as key drivers of improving cleanliness and maintaining a sanitary environment.
For more information about the EnCompass program, visit www.ecolab.com/industries/healthcare.
About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.