External Transport of Medical Devices

By Susan Klacik

In recent years, there has been a shift in sterile processing. Previously, nearly all processing was performed in the same healthcare facility where the instrumentation was used. Recently, this trend is changing. 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. In the past, sterile processing departments
were located near surgery departments. However, this space is valuable and often needed for other
important uses, such as patient care procedures near surgery or to expand the surgical department.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the concerns related to shock and vibration during transport.
2. Examine methods to maintain the integrity of sterile packages.
3. Describe how to safely transport contaminated items.

About the Author

Susan Klacik is a Clinical Educator for The International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM). She is the IAHCSMM voting member for the Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), a role she has held since 1997. A member of the Association of perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Guidance Advisory Board. Klacik has authored numerous articles and served as a contributing author to the IAHCSMM textbooks. She is the author of the IAHCSMM magazine’s column “Inside Washington” and the OR Manager column “Sterilization and Infection Prevention”. She has spoken domestically and internationally on sterile processing related subject matters as well as webinar presentations.