Sterilization & Disinfection

Latest Issue of OR Manager
July 2025
Home Sterilization & Disinfection

Centralized sterile processing cuts costs, complexity for four ASCs

Once limited to hospital inpatient settings, total joint surgery is increasingly common at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the US. What is not so common is performing these complex procedures without the benefit of an onsite sterile processing department (SPD). And yet, that is exactly what we have accomplished at…

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By: Emily Arce and Lacey Dyer
August 13, 2025
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Centralized sterile processing: An ASC's journey to offsite sterilization

Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, Centralized sterile processing cuts costs, complexity for four ASCs.    Implementing offsite sterilization is a major project. At Total Joint Specialists, our journey began gradually, growing in scope over time as the team became comfortable with the process…

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By: Emily Arce, Lacey Dyer
August 13, 2025
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Study: Clean paper towels match or exceed sterile options in surgical hand antisepsis

Editor's Note A study published July 9 in the American Journal of Infection Control found that clean paper towels are as effective—and in some cases more efficient—than sterile alternatives for surgical hand antisepsis. The results support their use as a cost-saving and safe alternative to sterile hand-drying products in surgical…

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By: Matt Danford
July 14, 2025
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Revised sterilization standards demand urgent attention from perioperative leaders

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Editor's Note New and revised sterilization and reprocessing standards are reshaping the landscape for sterile processing departments, placing greater emphasis on chemical modalities, device-specific protocols, and system-wide quality management, according to the Healthcare Purchasing News May 27 update on compliance and standards. Among the most significant developments is the overhaul…

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By: Matt Danford
June 18, 2025
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Study: Pneumonia risk lower for COVID-19 than influenza, RSV

Editor's Note Influenza and RSV infections more than double the risk of secondary Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, while COVID-19 is associated with a significantly reduced risk, according to a June 2 news brief from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). The findings stem from a retrospective study of…

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By: Matt Danford
June 5, 2025
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Study highlights surgical slush sterility, heart health risks

Editor's Note Researchers studying the exposure of sterile surgical slush to open air urge the adoption of closed-system technology to alleviate risks to sterility and surgical outcomes, according to a May 19 article in OR today. The article focuses on a time and motion study led by perioperative nursing leaders…

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By: Matt Danford
May 29, 2025
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Standards strengthen sterilization, disinfection process chains

Preventing infection from contaminated surgical tools requires attention to every link in a complex chain of processes, from point-of-use pretreatment in the OR to the moment the freshly disinfected or sterilized item arrives at the next patient’s bedside. For those on the front lines, manufacturers’ written instructions for use (IFUs)…

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By: Susan Klacik, BS, FCS, ACE, CHL, CIS, CRCST, AAMIF
May 28, 2025
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Airborne bacteria pose hidden threat in cardiac ORs, study warns

Editor's Note Air quality in cardiac ORs may be a silent driver of surgical site infections (SSIs), with airborne contamination linked to significantly elevated infection risk and mortality—especially when ventilation is suboptimal. A newly published study covered by Medical Dialogues May 19 reveals that one-third of bacteria in cardiac procedures…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
May 20, 2025
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Ice machines spread Legionella in hospital oncology unit, prompting testing overhaul

Editor's Note Legionalla contaminated a hospital ice machine and likely infected an oncology patient through aspirated ice chips, according to an April 30 report in Healio. Presented in a study at The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the incident prompted immediate changes to water testing protocols at AdventHealth,…

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By: Matt Danford
May 12, 2025
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Dissolution of CDC infection control panel raises concern over stagnant guidelines

Editor's Note The Trump administration has dismantled the federal committee responsible for shaping national infection prevention standards in hospitals, sparking concern among healthcare experts over future preparedness, NBC News reported May 6. According to the article, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed members of the Healthcare Infection…

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By: Matt Danford
May 7, 2025
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