Can isolation carts prevent the spread of infectious disease in a healthcare facility?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 7% of healthcare-associated infections can be prevented by using proper isolation protocols in healthcare institutions. Infections such as influenza and staph can spread rampantly among patients and healthcare providers if appropriate precautions are not exercised. It is important to keep these infections isolated to prevent their spread.
The use of well-designed isolation medical carts can significantly reduce the chance of the spread of such pathogenic infections. The isolation carts are specifically designed for quick and convenient Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) storage.
These carts are designed to allow quick decontamination and sanitization and are made using antimicrobial material to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, or mildew on the surfaces.
Although the contents of an isolation cart can vary between hospitals, most of them contain the following PPE-
Gloves
Gloves are the first line of defence for healthcare workers to prevent the spread of infections. Most isolations carts are designed to hold multiple glove boxes.
Masks
Surgical masks can protect against the spread of airborne and droplet infections. Most isolation carts have a special compartment to store surgical masks along with face shields.
Gowns
Every isolation cart has gowns stocked that are ready to use. As nurses and doctors go from one patient to another, they must cover their arms and body with a gown.
Shoe covers
Shoe covers are also an essential PPE stored in an isolation cart. Most nurses and doctors use shoe covers to prevent the spread of pathogens from one patient to the other.
A properly designed and placed isolation cart can significantly reduce the spread of infections. However, to be effective, isolation carts should have certain basic features, including the following.
Antimicrobial construction material
As the healthcare staff constantly accesses isolation carts, there are chances that microbes and pathogens can deposit on the various surfaces. An isolation cart must be made using an antimicrobial material that can inhibit the growth of these microbes. Unfortunately, not all isolation carts on the market are constructed using such materials.
Easy to clean and sanitize
Cleaning and sanitization are the cornerstones of preventing hospital-acquired infections. Your isolation carts must be easy to clean and sanitize regularly. Removable drawer inserts make cleaning and sanitization easy as well.
Easy to restock
The isolation carts must be restocked at regular intervals to prevent stockouts. Healthcare workers might be tempted to cut corners and save time by ignoring the precautionary protocol if the items are missing. Furthermore, if the isolation cart experiences a stockout, healthcare workers might lose precious time finding protective equipment from elsewhere, especially during emergencies.
In most healthcare facilities, isolation carts are not restocked by the nursing staff to prevent contamination. A dedicated service center often does the restocking. Most isolation carts allow easy restocking when using PAR level stocking to minimize the incidences of stockouts.
Isolation carts are important features of any healthcare facility that deals with infectious diseases. The healthcare and allied staff must work together to ensure that the isolation carts are positioned where they are needed and stoked at regular intervals to help reduce infections.
If proper precautions are taken with isolation carts, it is possible to reduce healthcare-associated infections. However, it is important to choose the right kind of isolation cart for your facility.
proCARE™ Isolation Cart from TouchPoint Medical is designed with antimicrobial material and provides great customizability. Configurable drawers with removal drawer inserts facilitating easier restocking and expandable workspaces make these isolation carts one of the best ways to store PPE in a healthcare facility of any size.
Contact our experts for a free demo and consultation if you are looking for isolation carts for your healthcare facility. Our technicians are available any time of the day to assist you.
