In recent years, there has been a shift in sterile processing. For a variety of reasons, instrumentation used at a facility may be processed at an off-site location that is across campus, across town, or elsewhere. 

For over 30 years, healthcare facilities have relied on vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) to sterilize temperature sensitive medical devices.

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Sterile processing technicians handle medical instruments contaminated with potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Many instruments include sharp edges and points that could cut or puncture technicians. Staying safe when manually cleaning requires attention to potential safety hazards both in and out of the sink.

Water quality is critical in any process within a Sterile Processing Department (SPD). Inadequate water quality during medical device reprocessing can cause a number of negative outcomes.

Instructions for Use (IFUs) are essential for guiding healthcare providers in reprocessing medical devices.

In order to address the potential gaps of surface disinfection, newer technologies such as ultraviolet light in the C spectrum (UV-C) have become available in multiple settings.

Manual cleaning in a hospital sterile processing department (SPD) is a specific, complex, and labor-intensive process that cannot be taken lightly. Although technology and automation are integral to the instrument processing workflow, the manual precleaning process can’t be automated – it requires a careful human touch.

Most medical devices that go through sterile processing departments spend time in mechanical cleaning. Dirty medical devices enter, and clean ones leave. Many assume all the safety hazards are found on the dirty side of operation, but mechanical cleaning safety is truly a tale of two sides.

Scope processing professionals are under constant pressure to produce endoscopes processed according to each device’s instructions for use and conforming to all industry standards and hospital guidelines requiring documentation on conforming outcomes, quality standards, and performance measurement.

Drying steam-sterilized items is more complex than it first appears. This requires reconciliation of several IFUs, including that of the devices, wraps, pouches, container systems, sterilization accessories, and the sterilizer.

In Sterile Processing, success is not measured by luck or titles; it’s built on persistence, self-discipline, and a deep sense of purpose.

Positive biological indicators (BI) set in motion the recall of all medical devices processed since the last negative BI, an analysis of what caused the failure, correction of those causes, and retesting of the sterilizer before it is put back into routine use.

Has a new loaner tray ever given you pause because of its size, complexity, or density? Concerned about processing a new brand of container in your facility’s older sterilizers?

How do we bridge the gap between the required procedures in our industries and helping our Sterile Processing staff apply them effectively? 

We’ll take a closer look at how BIs work, and how you should use them to make sure your sterilization processes are working correctly.

Proper sterilization of surgical instruments is critical to infection prevention and patient safety. The sterilization process breaks the chain of infection by preventing transmission of pathogens between patients. Hospitals today can choose between different sterilization processes to accommodate the broad array of medical device designs and materials. Rigorous sterilization quality control programs help ensure that the devices are safe and ready for patient use. 

The sterile processing team must rely on a comprehensive quality system approach to ensure that instruments are safe and ready for use on patients.

Protecting the patient is the objective of all infection prevention programs. Safe and effective processing of medical devices that have been used in surgery and patient care is a critical element of every healthcare infection prevention program.

An intensive review of the processes involved in point-of-use treatment, and the important role that it serves.