The Clocks Fall Back—Our Infection Control Standards Do Not

Those of us who were in practice during the COVID-19 pandemic remember how vigilant we had to become with our general hand hygiene, surface disinfection and the use of PPE. The pandemic crystallized for us that there were inherent risks for our patients and ourselves when we do not fully commit to the process of infection control. Although the pandemic is largely considered resolved, we are currently entering the cold and flu season nationwide and the occasional COVID-19 diagnosis is always lurking with random cases here and there. That being said, it’s a good time to do a quick check of what we are doing in our practices to adhere to proper infection control and promote the best practices that the Academy supports.

Most medical centers and hospitals have the general rule of disinfecting or washing hands on the way into the exam room and on the way out. Our physician and nursing colleagues have adhered to this for decades and for audiologists this is also very relevant. Be sure to check all your hand sanitizer dispensers in your clinic or office (as well as the ones available to patients) to make sure they have not expired.  When using liquid or gel hand sanitizer, friction is as important as the alcohol-based solution itself so remember to use a generous supply and rub vigorously.  Getting between the fingers and not just the palms is also advisable. And, of course, old fashioned soap and water is another way to make sure hands are clean. Again, rub vigorously and rinse thoroughly.

Surface disinfection is also important and commonly touched surfaces or items should be routinely cleansed and disinfected. Be sure to wipe down things like the response buttons, chairs and arm rests, equipment elements that contact the patient such as the bone conduction oscillator, cables, wired connections, etc. If you use traditional headphones, wipe them down or use covers to create a barrier between skin and equipment. Every patient deserves a sanitized space for their appointment so be sure to read the instructions on any spray surface disinfectant since it may need to “rest” or set on the surface for 15-30 seconds before wiping to achieve full efficacy.

The Academy supports best practices for infection control and there are resources available to read and review on the Academy web site. Search “Infection Control” and it will guide you a variety of articles and studies, including a wonderful retrospective by Dr. A.U. Bankaitis who discusses what we all learned from the pandemic and how it shaped us as providers. Beyond the Academy website, there are multiple textbooks and published guides regarding infection control in the audiology world, many of which were required for our doctoral studies. Other available resources can be found on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website which also continues to update its recommendations and advisories as well.

As audiologists, we’ve always known that infection control is important to ensure a safe clinical environment, but it took the pandemic to remind us that the little things are really the big things.  COVID-19 didn’t create infection control, but it vividly reminded us of what matters. Consistency in our clinical habits is critical and our attention to this shouldn’t change seasonally. Now that the fall is upon us, it’s a great time to review, refresh and prepare for the upcoming seasons where coughs and sniffles are walking through our doors. Maintaining those high standards and committing to best practices is something we need to achieve for our patients throughout the calendar year.