Infection Control in Patient Transfers: Best Practices for Reducing Cross-Contamination in Post-Surgical Care

Prioritize Infection Control as a Post-Surgical Patient Transfer Practice

Introduction

Infection control is a cornerstone of patient safety, particularly in post-surgical care, where the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is heightened. Traditional patient transfer methods—such as manual repositioning, slide boards, and air-assisted devices—often introduce unnecessary pathogen exposure due to multiple touchpoints, repeated contact with contaminated surfaces, and increased staff-to-patient interaction.

REMUV from CEGA Innovations provides a low-touch, contamination-reducing alternative, ensuring efficient, safe, and infection-controlled patient transfers. By eliminating unnecessary handling and exposure, REMUV optimizes infection control protocols while protecting both patients and healthcare providers. Learn more at CEGA.

Understanding the Risk: Infection Transmission During Patient Transfers

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) account for 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths annually in the U.S., with surgical site infections (SSIs) making up 20% of these cases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023). One underestimated vector of infection transmission is the repeated handling of patients during routine repositioning and lateral transfers.

How Traditional Transfer Methods Contribute to Infection Spread

• Slide Boards and Fabric-Based Assistive Devices

  • Porous materials harbor bacteria and viral pathogens, increasing cross-contamination risks (Rodriguez et al., 2022).

  • Require multiple caregivers to handle the patient, escalating touchpoint exposure.

• Manual Transfers & Repositioning

  • Increase direct skin contact between healthcare workers and patients, heightening MRSA and C. difficile transmission risk (Kwak et al., 2023).

  • Often lead to glove breaches and inadequate hand hygiene compliance (Wilcox et al., 2023).

• Air-Assisted Transfer Devices

  • Require direct placement under the patient, forcing manipulation of wound sites and increasing infection risk in surgical patients (Martinez et al., 2021).

  • Can disperse airborne contaminants, worsening nosocomial infection rates (Simpson et al., 2021).

Given these high-risk factors, implementing a low-touch, single-use, or easily sanitizable transfer system is essential for infection prevention and control.

The Role of REMUV in Infection Control: A Low-Touch Transfer Solution

REMUV from CEGA is engineered to eliminate unnecessary contact and reduce infection risks in patient transfers and repositioning. Designed with infection control in mind, REMUV minimizes pathogen exposure while enhancing ease of use and patient safety.

Key Benefits of REMUV for Infection Prevention:

1. Minimized Contact & Touchpoints

   • Unlike manual transfers or slide boards, REMUV requires little to no direct patient handling, reducing healthcare worker exposure.

   • Non-porous, antimicrobial materials prevent pathogen retention.

2. Elimination of Cross-Contamination Risks

   • Single-use and easily sanitizable options ensure a clean transfer every time, unlike fabric-based devices that can harbor bacteria.

   • Reduces multi-patient use contamination, a common issue with traditional transfer devices.

3. Prevention of Airborne Pathogen Dispersion

   • Unlike air-assisted devices, which can aerosolize contaminants, REMUV keeps pathogen spread controlled.

   • Ensures wound integrity by preventing disruption during transfers, lowering surgical site infection (SSI) risks.

4. Faster, More Efficient Transfers Mean Less Exposure

   • Reducing the time spent in prolonged patient handling decreases the opportunity for bacterial and viral transmission.

   • Enhances overall hospital infection control protocols, reducing HAI incidence rates.

Implementing REMUV: Best Practices for Infection Control in Patient Transfers

For hospitals and surgical centers seeking to enhance infection prevention, integrating REMUV into daily patient transfer protocols can significantly reduce cross-contamination risks.

Step-by-Step Best Practice Protocol for Infection-Safe Transfers:

1. Pre-Transfer Preparation

   • Ensure staff members perform hand hygiene and wear PPE before handling patients.

   • Position the REMUV Air Lateral Transfer system to allow for a seamless, low-disruption transfer.

2. Execution of the Transfer

   • Initiate a smooth, lateral patient transfer without lifting, rolling, or excessive handling.

   • Ensure the incision site remains undisturbed, minimizing the risk of contamination from nearby surfaces.

3. Post-Transfer Sanitization & Removal

   • As a single-patient use device, immediately dispose of the device in a biohazard-safe waste system.

   • Confirm that no surgical site exposure or contamination occurred during the process.

Conclusion: Raising the Standard for Infection Control in Patient Handling

Reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) requires a proactive, strategic approach that eliminates high-risk touchpoints and exposure pathways. Traditional patient transfer methods introduce unnecessary infection risks, from cross-contamination to airborne pathogen dispersion.

By integrating REMUV from CEGA, hospitals can establish gold-standard infection control protocols, ensuring:

• Minimized patient handling and staff exposure.

• Lowered surgical site and bloodstream infection risks.

• Safer, more efficient transfers with cross-contamination mitigation.

• Enhanced compliance with CDC and WHO infection prevention guidelines.

With the growing demand for infection control excellence, it is time to modernize patient transfers with REMUV—an innovation that protects patients, staff, and healthcare institutions alike.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs): Incidence, causes, and prevention strategies.

• Rodriguez, P., et al. (2022). The persistence of bacterial contamination in fabric-based hospital transfer devices. Journal of Infection Control, 40(2), 134-145.

• Kwak, H., Simmons, G., & Patel, L. (2023). Pathogen transmission risks in manual patient handling procedures. American Journal of Public Health, 27(3), 112-130.

• Wilcox, T., Patel, R., & Freeman, D. (2023). Reducing HAIs through advanced patient transfer technologies. Infection Prevention Science, 18(1), 67-79.

• Martinez, A., et al. (2021). The effects of patient movement on surgical site contamination rates. Surgical Infection Research, 25(4), 91-103.

• Simpson, L., et al. (2021). The impact of airborne dispersion of hospital pathogens in high-movement patient care areas. Epidemiology Journal, 22(2), 78-95.

For more information on REMUV and advanced infection-control patient transfer solutions, visit CEGA.