Reduction in Intraoperative Lumen Contamination of Standard 3-Way Open Lumen Stopcock Sets Through Use of a Novel, Passive Bundle

Bacterial contamination of patient intravenous stopcock sets is a common intraoperative event associated with increased patient mortality, possibly via an infectious mechanism. The most common type of intravenous tubing used in operating rooms is the open lumen stopcock set which lacks a barrier between the environment and intraluminal space, and thus the intravascular space of the patient. The stopcock connector can be easily contaminated by provider hands due to improper handling of the device and/or contaminated by soiled syringe tips subsequently connected to the device. Further, the stopcock connector is often left uncapped by the provider and directly exposed to the environment. Thus, common breaches in intraoperative aseptic practice of healthcare providers can lead to bacterial contamination of the endoluminal space of the open lumen device. The primary aim of the current study is to assess the efficacy of a passive bundle designed to decrease intravenous stopcock and tubing intraluminal bacterial contamination. This passive bundle includes two novel interventions, a DOCit station and HubScrub caps. The HubScrub is designed to clean the needleless connectors and open lumen stopcock systems. The DOCit station is designed to simultaneously clean the interior and exterior of needle-less luer connectors of syringes with isopropyl alcohol while also providing a method of storage and organization of multiple syringes. The investigators hypothesize that the application of this passive bundle to the standard open lumen system commonly employed by anesthesia providers in the operating room will significantly reduce bacterial contamination of standard 3-way open lumen stopcock sets and improve patient safety.