Description
What is used most when processing reusable medical devices? Water. Yet for years, the quality of water was not important unless there was staining, scaling, or pitting. Water has a broad impact on processing. It can damage instrumentation, cause cleaning equipment to fail, and transfer bacteria to medical devices resulting in infectious outbreaks. 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.
Learning Objectives
- Identify aspects of ANSI/AAMI ST108 that apply to processing technicians
- Describe the test methods that a processing technician would perform
About the Author
Pamela Carter, BSN, RN, CNOR, AGTS, CRCST, CER is a clinical education specialist for STERIS Corporation. She is a certified perioperative registered nurse with over 27 years of experience in a variety of specialties including nursing management, surgical nursing, sterile processing education and OR/SPD infection prevention and quality. In addition, Pamela has authored articles for AORN, HPN and HSPA, and is an active member of AAMI, AORN, APIC, ASCA, ASQ, HSPA, and SGNA.
