Sterilization & Disinfection

Latest Issue of OR Manager
October 2024
Home Sterilization & Disinfection

Emerging pathogens widespread in mechanical ventilators

Editor's Note Patients in Maryland hospitals on mechanical ventilators were exposed to two dangerous pathogens, which are becoming growing threats in hospital systems, according to a new report published on October 12 by JAMA Network.  The report analyzed survey data from 51 participating healthcare facilities. The data included 482 patients…

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By: Brita Belli
October 26, 2023
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Postpandemic applicability, usage of UV disinfection technology

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of proper disinfection to manage and contain the spread of the disease. During the pandemic, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology played an important role in safeguarding public health and combatting COVID-19. Various uses of UV technology have become available on the market and can be…

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By: Tra Vu, PhD
September 26, 2023
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AAMI: Time, temperature, humidity affecting cleanliness of instruments, medical devices

Editor's Note Researchers for a long time have expressed concern about how time and temperature might contribute to changes that affect the cleaning and sterilization of instruments. However, there have been few studies examining these claims. A September 2023 study in Biomedical Instrumentation and Technology from the Association for the…

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By: Brita Belli
September 25, 2023
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Pre-conference: Offsite Facility Tours—Experiential Education

Editor’s Note  The OR Manager Conference commenced this week with a variety of pre-conference events, including an experimental educational offsite tour to TriStar Centennial Medical Center and the Vanderbilt Case Cart Operations Center in Nashville, TN. The first tour featured the newly-renovated TriStar Centennial Medical Center Advanced Joint Replacement Institute,…

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By: Bridget Brown
September 18, 2023
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Study: Bacterial transmission in anesthesia work area increases SSI risk

Editor's Note Recent research delved into the connection between the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the anesthesia work area and the occurrence of surgical site infections (SSIs), Anesthesiology News July 19 reports. While it was previously recognized that reducing microbial transmission through the anesthesia work area is crucial for preventing…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 1, 2023
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SSI rates before, after reuse of PPE during pandemic

Editor's Note This study from Trinity Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, compares prepandemic surgical site infection (SSI) rates before reusing personal protective equipment (PPE), to pandemic SSI rates after reusing PPE in trauma surgical patients. A total of 48,987 patients were included in the analysis, with half in the postpandemic group.…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 24, 2023
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Keeping it sterile: Fundamentals of sterile storage

Using sterile items in surgery is a fundamental practice, not a rudimentary one that can or should be taken for granted. Put simply, using unsterile items can result in a patient infection. If sterile storage conditions are not appropriate, the items can become contaminated. Such contamination may go undetected, rendering…

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By: Susan Klacik, BS, FCS, ACE, CHL, CIS, CRCST, AAMIF
July 20, 2023
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Improving IP work-life balance, retention with an alternative work schedule

Editor's Note This study from the Falls Church, Virginia-based Inova Health System finds that an alternative work schedule improved work-life balance, productivity, and morale of its infection preventionists (IPs). With the surges and threats of emerging infectious diseases, the Inova Health System was dealing with a shortage of IPs and…

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By: Judy Mathias
July 13, 2023
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AHA urges EPA to ensure proposed EtO standards don’t disrupt healthcare delivery

Editor's Note In a June 27 letter, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “to avoid disrupting healthcare delivery through the unintentional fracturing” of the medical device supply chain with its proposed ethylene oxide (EtO) standards. The EPA proposes: reducing EtO emissions by 80% adding new…

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By: Judy Mathias
June 29, 2023
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OhioHealth partners to double healthcare graduates, address staff shortages

Editor's Note As staffing remains a top point of concern for healthcare leaders, OhioHealth, Columbus, Ohio, and Columbus State Community College, announced a partnership to invest $120 million into training healthcare professionals in five fields on June 27. The joint venture will double the number of students in nursing, surgical…

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By: Lindsay Botts
June 27, 2023
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