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For over 30 years, healthcare facilities have relied on vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) to sterilize temperature sensitive medical devices.
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.
Low temperature sterilization processes such as ethylene oxide and vaporized hydrogen peroxide play a critical role in sterile processing departments across the United States.
The instructions for use (IFU) that are delivered with every new medical device by the manufacturer are intended to enable safe use of the item. They are a mandatory component for the sale and use of the device because of the product’s impact on patient safety
Today, robots with specially designed instruments can assist in a variety of laparoscopic procedures.
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.
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.
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?
Reprocessing is the science and practice of preparing instruments and devices for use and reuse in patient care.
Many flexible endoscopes have a complex design and are processed using HLD. Based on recent investigations of patient outbreaks related to flexible endoscopes, it is time to look into moving from high-level disinfection (HLD) to sterilization.
Sterile Processing is often regarded as the “front line” for fighting infections. Following proper protocols and standards is critical if we are to win that fight.
How do we bridge the gap between the required procedures in our industries and helping our Sterile Processing staff apply them effectively?
Not every sterile processing department is taking full advantage of all the features and data their sterile processing information system can provide, and this may be because they are unaware of its full potential.
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.
