Instrument Set Decontamination Workflows Designed for Success in Sterile Processing

AORN Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-157
Author(s):  
Courtney Mace Davis ◽  
Joan M. Spear
Keyword(s):  
Sterile Processing

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 aerosol generation during respiratory equipment reprocessing

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Quartim de Moraes Bruna ◽  
Caroline Lopes Ciofi-Silva ◽  
Anderson Vicente de Paula ◽  
Lucy Santos Villas Boas ◽  
Noely Evangelista Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Medical Devices ◽  
Aerosol Generation ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals ◽  
Air Sample ◽  
Sterile Processing

AbstractAerosolization may occur during reprocessing of medical devices. With the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it is important to understand the necessity of using respirators in the cleaning area of the sterile processing department. To evaluate the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in the air of the sterile processing department during the reprocessing of contaminated medical devices. Air and surface samples were collected from the sterile processing department of two teaching tertiary hospitals during the reprocessing of respiratory equipment used in patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 and from intensive care units during treatment of these patients. SARS-CoV-2 was detected only in 1 air sample before the beginning of decontamination process. Viable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA was not detected in any sample collected from around symptomatic patients or in sterile processing department samples. The cleaning of respiratory equipment does not cause aerosolization of SARS-CoV-2. We believe that the use of medical masks is sufficient while reprocessing medical devices during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

The Compliance Conversation: Navigating Variations in Sterile Processing Practices

AORN Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 430-441
Author(s):  
Joan M. Spear ◽  
Victoria B. Navarro ◽  
Laura Gayton ◽  
Paul Reis
Keyword(s):  
Sterile Processing

scholarly journals Tenets of Quality Management Systems Are Needed in Sterile Processing

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (s2) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Sheffer ◽  
Jon Fish ◽  
Seth Hendee ◽  
Emily Hildebrand ◽  
Susan G. Klacik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Quality Management Systems ◽  
Sterile Processing

scholarly journals Taxonomy of Surgical Delay Related to Sterile Processing and Domino Effect

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-295
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. LaForge ◽  
Helen J. A. Fuller ◽  
Timothy Arnold ◽  
Kristin Chrouser ◽  
William Gunnar
Keyword(s):  
Operating Room ◽  
Medical Equipment ◽  
Domino Effect ◽  
Staff Time ◽  
Surgical Delay ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Competing Demands ◽  
Instructions For Use ◽  
Sterile Processing ◽  
Work Done

Successful surgery does not just depend on the skills and knowledge of those in the operating room but also on the staff that insure the needed instrumentation is available and sterile. The process that continuously provides reusable medical equipment (RME) to the Operating Room (OR) requires highly specialized expertise over a wide range of instrumentation. The reprocessing team must be familiar with instructions for use (IFU), and how to apply them to process every piece of RME from surgeries, endoscopies, and clinic procedures. Coupled with the limitations of staff, time, and resources and with competing demands to produce sterile instruments and environments that work in almost total isolation from each other, there are several gaps in the process that must be identified and bridged. While the workflow for moving between the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) and the OR is sometimes thought as a fairly simple circular flowchart, the realities of work done versus work imagined are vastly different. In addition, these challenges vary considerably across different departments, even in a single healthcare system, and as such there are no simple solutions. Understanding the demands on the SPD, the needs in the OR for sterile RME, and the patient safety concerns that drive this cycle are critical if we are to improve the process.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document