Orthopaedic Research Laboratory: Dissection Room Protocol
General Preparation1. Sign Up and Sign In sheets are posted on the dissection room door. Fill out the sign in sheet whenever you use the dissection room facility. If you need the dissection facility at a particular time, please reserve the time on the Sign Up sheet to avoid time conflicts.
2. Prior to entering the dissection room or handling specimens, please don the following minimal gear:
shoe covers
plastic apron
sleeve protectors
gloves
Once you've begun a dissection, you must remove your protective gear before exiting the dissection room.
3. If working with human specimens or power tools which may aerosolize particles, use facemasks, surgical bonnets, eye protection, and double gloves.
4. Scrubs, yellow surgical gowns (not fluid barrier), and blue surgical gowns (fluid barrier) are available and encouraged for use as well.
5. All items except for scrubs can be found in the hallway cabinet (next to sink) in the area outside the dissection room. If you use the last item of its kind in the cabinet, please replenish the cabinet from the supplies in the storage closet within the dissection room.
6. Clean scrubs can be found on a shelf in the storage closet within the dissection room. Place dirty scrubs in the laundry bag in the storage closet.
7. Work Space Preparation: While you are still 'clean', cover your work area with white absorbent paper (wall dispenser) or blue pads (storage closet). Use white tape to affix this to the bench, if necessary.
8. Collect all surgical tools necessary from the instrument cart as well as any other equipment necessary for dissection and specimen handling such as hand tools and accessories, specimen bags, waste bags, labels, markers, etc.
Dissection
1. Transport your specimen according to the specimen transport protocol.
2. Proceed with your dissection/specimen preparation. If you find that you are in need of additional supplies not originally laid out, replace your contaminated gloves with a clean pair before getting the additional items to avoid contaminating clean equipment and surfaces.
3. In addition to surgical instruments, the dissection room has a set of tools (screw drivers, wrenches, etc.) that are for use only in the dissection room. The machine shop tools are never to be brought into the dissection room. If you need something in addition to what is available, please write your request on the white board in the storage closet or consult with Paul Robinson.
4. The dissection room also has several power tools available (drill, Makita saw, etc.) for use. To minimize aerosolized material exposure, these should be used on the dissection surface against the wall, as this is directly beneath the exhaust duct.
5. A band saw is available for use on cadaveric material and is located in room 403 in the hood. Transport your specimen to this room using the appropriate protocol. Disinfect the hood and clean the band saw after use.
General Clean Up
1. Upon completion, follow appropriate waste disposal protocols for human and animal waste.
2. Sharps (including syringes) must be placed into the red sharps container.
3. Once all tissue and tissue contaminated disposables have been removed from the work area and your dirty surgical instruments have been placed in the sink, put clean gloves on for the remainder of the clean up.
4. Spray down the counter tops, PBS bottles, and any other contaminated surfaces (i.e., surfaces you touched with dirty gloves) with 10% bleach solution and wipe up any tissue remnants, blood, or other dirt with paper towel. Thoroughly rinse the stainless steel work surfaces with water from the convenient spray nozzles near the sinks. Dry all surfaces.
5. Similarly, spot clean the floor with 10% bleach solution if you have been messy or use the mop/ bucket combo from the storage closet if you have been REALLY messy.
6. Refill any low squirt bottles with the appropriate solutions from the carboys located on the shelf in the dissection room.
7. If the autoclave bag is ¾ full, seal the autoclave bag with either a tight knot or one of the blue autoclave bag rubberbands (autoclave safe). Take the bag to room 416 and follow the autoclave waste disposal protocol.
8. Clean your instruments as below.
Instrument Cleaning Procedure
Stainless Steel Surgical Instruments:
1. Remove all gross tissue fragments from instruments and dispose of appropriately (freeze large waste for disposal or place contaminated paper in autoclave bags).
2. Place instruments in sink and generously squirt with diluted Liquinox solution (Don't 'slime' the bottle).
3. Take the small scrub brush stored by the sink in a Tupperware container filled with 10% bleach solution and meticulously remove any tissue fragments/organic matter/blood from the instruments. Replace brushes in bleach filled storage container.
4. Rinse instruments with water.
5. Place cleaned instruments in a pan of Tergazyme disinfecting solution (premixed in a carboy) and cover with lid. Keep hemostats and needle drivers open. Let soak for 4 - 24 hours.
6. Clean the sink and sink area. Remove any tissue fragments from sink and dispose of properly. Spray sink and counter with bleach. Wipe. Rinse sink with plenty of water.
7. Before 24 hours has passed, return to rinse the instruments with water (to prevent corrosion) and remove any sludge on them. Cover the top of the instrument cart with paper towel or a blue pad and place the instruments out to dry.
8. If the Tergazyme solution is cloudy, replace with clean solution and cover the container with lid.
Other Instruments
1. Follow steps 1-4 above.
2. Non-stainless steel items placed in Tergazyme for extended periods of time will corrode. Non-stainless steel items should sprayed with Roccal for approximately 10 minutes, rinsed thoroughly with water, and laid out to dry.
Power Tools
1. Power tools should not be submersed in Roccal or water for cleaning. Remove all visible tissue from the power tools with paper towel or brush and a stream of distilled water and/or Liquinox.
2. Thoroughly wipe the tools with Roccal solution and lay out to dry.
3. Wipe down all air hoses and nozzle controls with Roccal solution.