A door alarm that sounds whenever a staff member enters the operating room helps limit unnecessary foot traffic that increases surgical site infection risk, according to an article on the Outpatient Surgery website.
A study published in Orthopedics found that one-third of OR door openings are for unessential reasons, such as social visits.
The study said that signs that attempt to restrict OR access often go unnoticed or are ignored and locked doors create safety concerns.
An alarm proved to be more effective. During 50 consecutive surgeries without the alarm, the door was opened an average of 88 times per case and remained open for 14 minutes per procedure. During the 50 cases with the alarm installed, the number of door openings dropped to 69 and the door remained open for 10 minutes per surgery.
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