Using a systematic approach for adopting new technologies in sterile processing departments and operating rooms.

Technological advancements in health care can potentially have substantial benefits on efforts to improve patient care. Organizations are often hesitant to consider new devices or technologies, particularly if the new technology is expensive, not addressed in current standards, or affects multiple departments, such as the sterile processing department, operating room, and infection prevention. Organizations considering new technology should create a multidisciplinary risk assessment committee tasked with using a systematic approach to evaluate and make recommendations on new products or technologies.

Troubleshooting failed sterilization loads: Process failures and wet packs/loads.

Sterilization process failures may place patients at risk. It is important that IPs, managers, educators, and staff members responsible for sterilization in health care facilities understand what to do if there is a biological, chemical, or mechanical sterilization monitor failure, or a wet pack. Sterilization process failures occur for many reasons: a malfunctioning sterilizer, user error (eg, incorrect packaging or loading procedures or incorrect cycle selection), poor steam quality, and others. All process failures should be investigated and the root cause of the failure identified. Understanding the possible causes of sterilization process failures and investigating tools for failed loads can help with risk assessment and necessary corrective action.

Taking the chaos out of accreditation surveys in sterile processing: High-level disinfection, sterilization, and antisepsis.

Health care accreditation processes are conducted with a focus on safety and quality of patient care. Accreditation, or lack of it, can affect the organization's ability to be reimbursed for services provided. Sterile processing in health care facilities has become an increasingly larger focus of the accreditation survey process. Health care organizations that reprocess medical devices must be prepared to demonstrate compliance with standards when they are surveyed. Understanding and following current guidelines and recommendations can help ensure the health care facility is ready for unannounced accreditation surveys.

Sterile Processing Accreditation Surveys: Risk Reduction and Process Improvement.

Accreditation surveys protect patients and personnel by monitoring health care facility compliance with rules, regulations, and best practices. Accreditation, or the lack of it, can affect a facility's ability to be reimbursed. The ability of personnel to follow best practices and adhere to regulatory requirements in the surgical processing department and the OR has a critical effect on reducing or eliminating health care-associated infections, including surgical site infections. This article discusses preparing for an accreditation survey, being ready to demonstrate compliance when surveyed, and how accreditation surveys help reduce risk for patients and personnel, promote best practices, and improve patient care.

High-level disinfection, sterilization, and antisepsis: current issues in reprocessing medical and surgical instruments.

Technology is rapidly changing many aspects of health care. The intricate design of instruments, the configuration of instrument trays, and evidence-based practice have resulted in the need for complicated and specific reprocessing recommendations from instrument manufacturers. Patient safety depends on instruments that are appropriately cared for and adequately reprocessed. This article covers current issues that sterile processing and operating room professionals must deal with regarding reprocessing of medical and surgical instruments.

Immediate use steam sterilization: moving beyond current policy.

Immediate-use steam sterilization (IUSS) is steam sterilization intended for immediate use. IUSS may cause an increased risk of infection to patients because of stress and time constraints placed on staff. When IUSS is used, it is vital to properly carry out the complete multistep process according to the manufacturer's written validated instructions for use.

Reducing the risks associated with loaner instrumentation and implants.

Surgical facilities borrow specialty surgical instrumentation and implants from vendors and other facilities to provide needed inventory to perform scheduled procedures without the burden of purchasing these items. Borrowing has many advantages, including reduced costs and the ability to expand services offered, but borrowed items must be handled and processed in a consistent way to ensure safe patient care. Instruments and implants must be received in time to be properly reprocessed by the borrowing facility. Lack of planning on the part of a hospital or vendor, lack of communication, lack of appropriate policies to guide the processing of items, increasingly complex instrumentation, and increasing workloads are factors that can contribute to lapses in processing requirements and, ultimately, risk to patients and staff members. Improving communication and policies and procedures can improve the quality and safety of loaner instrumentation and implant use.

Collaboration between perioperative nurses and sterile processing department personnel.

Ensuring patient safety requires collaboration between all members of the surgical team, which includes personnel in the sterile processing department. Because of the close working relationship between the OR and sterile processing department, it is important that employees in these departments work well together. Reducing errors and misunderstandings can contribute to improved relationships between personnel in these two departments. Strategies should include a focus on reducing instrument set errors, fostering teamwork and positive relationships, improving interdepartmental communication, and ensuring compliance with policies that are based on the most current evidence available.