Chisom R Udeigwe-Okeke, Justina O Seyi-Olajide, Aderonke O Obisesan, Keith Miles, Nkeiruka Obi, Emmanuel A Ameh
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Faulty or poorly maintained surgical instruments increase risks of complications, prolong operating times, and reduce efficiency, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To address this, Nigeria introduced the Surgical Instruments Repair Technicians (SIRT) program, to improve instrument safety.
Objective: This study evaluated the SIRT program's initial impact, sustainability, and scalability for improved surgical instrument maintenance in LMICs.
Methods: The program was deployed in two phases. Phase one involved online theoretical and hands-on training for biomedical technicians and operating room/central sterile supply department nurses from Smile Train partner and public hospitals across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. Participants were provided repair kits to establish institutional workbenches. Phase two focused on expanding training with a one-week hands-on program. Data on demographics, training feedback, and repair outcomes were collected.
Results: A total of 36 participants completed training (24 in phase one, 12 in phase two), evaluating 1,623 instruments with a 99.6% successful repair rate. Post-training surveys showed that 83.3% of participants felt more confident identifying faulty instruments, and 95.8% reported adequate repair skills. Institutional workbenches were established in 50% of hospitals, and repair drives were conducted within institutions and neighboring hospitals.
Conclusion: The program demonstrated significant potential for improving surgical instrument maintenance and enhancing safety in LMICs. Integrating the program into hospital budgets could support sustainable expansion.
期刊介绍：
Frontiers in Public Health is a multidisciplinary open-access journal which publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research and is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries to researchers, academics, clinicians, policy makers and the public worldwide. The journal aims at overcoming current fragmentation in research and publication, promoting consistency in pursuing relevant scientific themes, and supporting finding dissemination and translation into practice.
Frontiers in Public Health is organized into Specialty Sections that cover different areas of research in the field. Please refer to the author guidelines for details on article types and the submission process.
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