Operating Room Protocol for patients with infectious diseases

• Clinician must alert the surgery staff of the animal’s status on the surgery/anesthesia request form.
• If the potential pathogen will not be inactivated by quaternary ammonium compounds, the staff must be alerted so that adjustments can be made in the disinfection regimen.
• If possible, all animals with an infectious disease should not be operated in regular surgery areas.
• Animals will be operated in minor surgery.
• Traffic will be limited to necessary personnel and every attempt shall be made to gather all items necessary for the surgery ahead of time.
• Barriers soaked in disinfectant shall be placed at the door.
• All items used in a contaminated surgery shall be sorted as to whether they are reusable or disposable, double bagged in biohazard bags, and sterilized or incinerated.
• Reusable items that cannot be sterilized shall be thoroughly cleaned with an appropriate disinfectant before leaving the room.
• Scrub suits shall be changed immediately following surgery and placed in biohazard bags for sterilization.
• The surgery suite shall be thoroughly cleaned with an appropriate disinfectant, and then left vacant for the remainder of the day.
• Operating rooms will not be automatically closed based on a patients’ antibiotic resistant infection, however, surgeon’s can use discretion along with the Surgery Supervisor to close, clean and culture a room if there is potential for significant room contamination.
• If an antibiotic resistant infection is present in an animal and that animal goes into or has been in a surgery room, the room will be cultured.
• If the room cultures detect an antibiotic resistant infection, the room will be closed until room cultures demonstrate adequate cleaning of the room.
• Patients with known antibiotic resistant infections will be operated in OR#7.
• Exceptions may be granted if there is good evidence that the infection has been completely resolved.  An example would be a dog that had total ear canal ablations years ago, has had no further ear disease, and is now being operated for a cruciate.
• The clinician has the discretion to close a room after any case, if he/she suspects that the room has been contaminated with an organism that has the potential to be antibiotic resistant.  An example would be a dog with a resistant urinary tract infection, operated in minor surgery, which urinates all over the surgery table and the floor.