2020 Undergraduate Research Showcase
 

Title

Effectiveness of Cleaning Protocols in Radiology Departments

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2020

Faculty Sponsor

Natalie Mourant

Abstract

The effectiveness of cleaning, which includes the steps taken to reduce the spread of microorganisms, is a critical task that all professionals in the medical field should know and follow. This paper evaluates the cleaning protocols among five different areas within four hospital and clinic sites and how effectively these protocols are being followed. To test the effectiveness of the cleaning protocols, swabs were taken at each site from some of the most frequently touched and used areas throughout the radiology department. Samples were collected using multiple trypticase soy agar plates, sterile swabs, and distilled water. Photos from five different hospital and clinical settings in the Pacific Northwest provided evidence that while protocols are put in place, professionals in the healthcare field are not doing an effective enough job of disinfecting equipment. Improving how radiology departments follow cleaning protocols could have a dramatic effect on helping to lower hospital acquired infections. Through continuing this research, the authors will be testing three different types of wipes that are used throughout the Pacific Northwest and determine if one is more effective than the others. We will use a similar format to test the effectiveness of the wipes as our original experiment.

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