New EPA standards to reduce ethylene oxide emissions
Editor's Note New standards from The Environmental Protection Agency promise to cut nationwide emissions of ethylene oxide—employed to sterilize more than half of US medical devices—by more than 90 percent. According to a March 15 MedPage Today report, the aim is to reduce cancer risk among the 13 to 14…
Negative pressure wound therapy reduces SSI across surgical specialties
Editor's Note Compared with standard wound dressings, single-use negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) devices can reduce the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in at-risk patients with closed surgical incisions across a range of surgical specialties, according to a data review highlighted in the February issue of the American Journal…
Why OR leaders should revisit sterile processing basics
Sterile Processing Department (SPD) managers and technicians know a thing or two about pressure. In a recent webinar covering sterile processing basics, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, president and CEO of Ofstead & Associates, Inc, and Abby Smart, MPH, research associate, cited the example of a 480-bed hospital that performed 13,650…
Managing immediate use steam sterilization
Immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS, a standard steam sterilization cycle with little to no dry time) is considered safe for patient care when the processes recommended in Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standards and AORN guidelines are followed. IUSS is a valuable option in an emergency. Lack…
The Joint Commission issues new Quick Safety on managing packaged sterile supplies, devices
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on June 28, announced a new Quick Safety advisory on “Managing packaged sterile supplies and devices.” The advisory provides guidance to keep patients safe from infection and harm from expired or compromised supplies and devices and urges healthcare workers (HCWs) to pay close attention to…
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