UNAIR NEWS – “Nosocomial” refers to the illness experienced by patients during the treatment and healing process at the hospital. Based on the WHO study, in 2002 there were 1.4 million patients worldwide who developed nosocomial infections .
Southeast Asia became the second largest area with nosocomial disease with a percentage of 10%, and 75% of it is in developing countries. Indonesia as a developing country with the second largest population in Asia, has great potential as a country with the spread of high nosocomial infections .
According to WHO, the highest nosocomial infection occurs in the Emergency Unit (ER), acute surgical treatment, and orthopedic wards. This infection is also prone to occur in the radiology unit. On a general x-ray examination, one of the equipments required to capture the image is a tape or IR ( Image Receptor ).
“During my practice at the hospital, I found many patients with bodily injuries and blood need roentgen photographs . Cassettes as catchers of images that are used interchangeably are often exposed to blood and body fluids of the patient, because the object must be attached, “said Alifatus Wahyu Nur Ma’rifah, a radiology research student at Universitas Airlangga.
In fact, citing the results of Swain and Flinton research, 33% of the radiographic tapes that have been used in diagnostic imaging were contaminated with potential pathogens, one which is often identified as Staphylococcus aureus.
From that problem, Alifatus Wahyu and two friends in D4 Radiology Department, Department of Health Faculty of Vocational Studies UNAIR, Ali Mustofa and Ayub Manggala Putra, developed a tool that can protect the tape from patient body fluid.
This success is then they written in the proposal in the Student Creativity Program, invention category (PKM-KC). With guidance from dr. Lailatul Muqmiroh, Sp.Rad (K), a lecturer of Radiology Department of the Department of Health, Faculty of Vocational Studies UNAIR, the proposal passed the selection and was entitled to development funding from the Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) in PKM program 2018.
“We named this innovation with the IR Protector ,” added Alifatus.
The tool for a radiographic tape protector is made of a transparent plastic material with a thickness of 0.13 mm. The IR Protector is designed with an opening to minimize the body fluid that enters the cassette. It is disposable use, which is a tool used for one patient.
“We have tested this tool and our IR Protector does not interfere with the image results,” Ali Mustofa added.
Ayub Manggala Putera, a member of this PKM-KC group, said that the design (figure 1) and the selection of materials is able to minimize the risk of nosocomial infection occurring in the radiology unit. (*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
