A number of anesthesiologists have surveyed members of their profession regarding infection control practices and have found that anesthesiologists report numerous breeches of aseptic technique and infection control measures, including: Re-using syringes Entering intravenous tubing ports and multidose vials without using aseptic technique Recapping needles Mixing separate clean and dirty items in the same space Using equipment for more than one patient without cleaning or disinfecting the items Not using protective barriers
The literature documents many deficiencies in practice among anesthesiologists. However, there are no recent surveys of anesthesia practice and we have not identified any mult-center surveys on this topic. The goals of this study would be to provide data that each EpiCenter could use when developing interventions to address the most serious deficiencies in their institutions. If common serious deficiencies are identified, the EpiCenters could choose to develop a multi-center interventional study. This project is a CDC – Epicenters of Excellence, multi-center study, coordinated by The University of Iowa. Together with Iowa, Johns Hopkins will be conducting two surveys (one deparmental, one individual) to followup on reports in the literature that anesthesiologists often do not follow infection control guidelines. One Departmental survey will be completed by the head of the department. The Individual survey will be filled out by anesthesiologists (staff, residents, fellows) and nurse anesthetists to determine how well they comply with guidelines for antisepsis and infection control. These survey have two purposes. The first is to assess the department wide practices for cleaning and disinfection of equipment. The second is to assess what anesthesia personnel report of their own practices. Data from these surveys will be used to develop interventions to improve practice. The analysis will focus on: Calculating the rates of participation at each institution, Defining the descriptive epidemiology of practice in each institution and in the EpiCenters as a whole. Identifying statistically significant differences in practice between the institutions.
For more information about this study please e-mail Amy Banowetz at abanowe1@jhmi.edu. | 
