4 operating rooms back in use after low humidity fixed
The state Department of Health recently shut down four operating rooms at Vassar Brothers Medical Center due to humidity levels being too low. All have reopened since. A state inspector discovered the problems in operating rooms 9, 10, 11 and 12, according to hospital spokesman John Nelson and health department spokesman Jeff Hammond.
“During a recent department inspection, Vassar Brothers hospital was cited for unsafe humidity levels in some operating rooms, resulting in those rooms being temporarily closed,” Hammond said in a prepared statement. “The impacted operating rooms were reopened after the hospital took action to ensure the humidity in the operating rooms is maintained at appropriate levels when in use.”
Hammond said the health department “will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
The Anesthesia Patient
Safety Foundation says low humidity in operating rooms can result in “decreasing the shelf life of certain supplies, such as biological indicators and chemical indicators used for sterilization monitoring, and electrocardiogram electrodes.”
“Low humidity also increases the chance of electrostatic discharge that could harm or interfere with electromedical equipment, and potentially spark a fire,” the foundation says.
High humidity in operating rooms increases the chance of surface mold and mildew growth, as well as the risk of wound infections in patients, according to the foundation.
Nelson said in a prepared statement that Vassar Brothers, which is part of the Health Quest/Nuvance Health network, is “grateful for the New York State Department of Health’s oversight of our facility. When they point out potential issues such as this, it gives us the opportunity to take immediate action to ensure we continue to provide excellent, high-quality care.”