The knowledge of water in medical device processing is rising and with it there are quality expectations. Processing technicians now have new responsibilities to ensure the quality of water.

Instrument containers serve a critical function in the surgical department. Staff must take the time needed to properly care for them.

Patient safety issues have led to the development of numerous tools to help technicians determine whether or not a medical device is verifiably clean and ready for high-level disinfection or sterilization.

Sterilization of instruments is critical to infection prevention and patient safety.

Obsolescence has many hidden costs, but depending on the type, obsolescence can also yield benefits.

Whichever and wherever a sterilization process is used, it must be validated and routinely monitored to ensure ongoing efficacy

In this second article covering chemical indicators, we will examine the international standards for chemical indicators, how they are categorized, how they are tested and how practice standards describe they should be used.

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Flexible endoscopes are among the most complex and indispensable medical devices used in healthcare. And yet, despite mounting evidence identifying cross contamination opportunities during endoscope processing, many sterile processing and endoscopy departments dedicate little space to the proper cleaning, rinsing, and disinfection or sterilization of these lumened scopes. At the same time, regulatory and guidance organizations are taking a hard look at the details of this process and are updating best-practice recommendations. This is likely to lead to changes in processes, equipment and workflow space to enable compliant flexible endoscope processing.

As Sterile Processing & Distribution (SPD) departments all over the world evolve as one of the most key areas of hospitals and surgery centers, how we manage our data and true facts of the many processes performed have become paramount.

Sterile single-use and reusable medical devices must be sterilized by a validated sterilization process.

There is a significant risk of disease transmission within the dental setting that puts dental healthcare providers and patients at risk. 

This article will review current recommendations for effective medical device drying, discuss the appropriate types of air to use and explain how to complete drying steps safely in SPD and GI reprocessing areas.

Discussing quality in Sterile Processing may seem vague and overwhelming. However, you do not have to be an industrial engineer to learn the ropes and jargon to develop, implement and participate in a successful quality management program

The process of conducting competency assessments within the Sterile Processing Department.

The tone and attitude that we use within our department reflects our standard operating procedures (SOPs). SOPs allow for the department and its professionals to work together because everyone knows what goals they are working towards.

The influence of planning sessions on creating an effective plan through necessary actions for anticipated or needed outcomes.

As the healthcare industry incorporates quality systems into daily operations and patient care, professionals face the challenge of defining what it means to provide “quality care” within an organization that serves patients.

Is this expired? It seems like the question should be an easy one to answer by looking at the label of any time-sensitive item in a sterile processing department (SPD). But what if the labeled expiration date isn’t the one you need to follow?

Ophthalmic instrumentation may require special handling, may have new recommendations, or may require sterile processing managers to rethink their ophthalmic instrument reprocessing protocols.