Wazzup Pilipinas!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hundreds of patients around the world are affected by healthcare-associated infections that greatly affect patients’ health. In the Philippines alone, over 500,000 patients get Surgical Site Infections (SSI) each year due to poor sanitation standards in hospitals. About 10% die due to these infections.
The most common infections include Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas bacteria. Surgery patients often get infected through various forms of contact, such as contaminated surgical instruments, or physical contact with a contaminated caregiver that transfers microorganisms to the surgical wound site. Microorganisms in the air, and those already in the patient’s body can also reach the wound and seriously infect the patient.
To address and prevent post-operative infections the Department of Health released Guidelines On Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization of Reusable Medical Devices In Hospital Facilities in the Philippines. The guidelines aim to improve patient care in health facilities with the efficient use of limited government resources without compromising the quality of care. The issued guidelines also hoped to provide the best practices in reprocessing of reusable medical devices in the central sterile supply department of hospitals.
According to the DOH, patients who undergo surgery have about 1 to 3 percent chance of developing SSI infections, post-op, in parts of the body where surgery has taken place. The skin is a natural protective barrier against infection, but a break in the skin due to surgery makes that area very vulnerable to germs and microorganisms in the environment.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
