Process improvements raise SPD standards and quality
When audits revealed areas of deficit in the sterile processing departments (SPDs) of the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, leaders pulled together a team to help implement a quality improvement plan. By analyzing and standardizing their processes, creating auditing tools, and educating staff, they significantly increased quality scores throughout…
FDA: Pentax validates reprocessing instructions for ED-3490 TK Video Duodenoscope
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 19 announced that it had reviewed updated reprocessing instructions and validation data issued by Pentax Medical (Montvale, New Jersey) for its ED-3490 Video Duodenoscope. The FDA recommends that facilities train staff on the updated instructions and implement them as soon…
Proper packaging ensures integrity of sterilization
Sterilization packaging is considered a medical device and thus it must undergo validation testing before being used in healthcare facilities. To ensure proper packaging that will maintain the integrity of sterilization, consult the packaging manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFU) and follow the sterilization standards and guidelines from the Association for…
Lean tools help staff weed out bioburden pests
At least half the battle in making and sustaining process improvements is getting the entire team on board with a new workflow. One key to getting buy-in from staff is to clarify why changes are needed and what the consequences may be if the new processes aren’t followed. In a…
Creating a powerful partnership between the OR and the SPD
Perhaps no other departments in a hospital work as closely together as the OR and the sterile processing department, yet friction isn’t uncommon as both areas strive to meet service demands. Although the relationship between the two is unlikely to ever be free of tension, leaders of both departments increasingly…
Better communication and teamwork improve sterile processing efficiency
Relations between the OR and the sterile processing department (SPD) are not always smooth. OR staff need timely, accurate instrument trays that meet the highest standards of safety. Anything short of 100% performance leads to complaints about the SPD. But many OR staff members do not appreciate the challenges faced…
Don’t let faulty processing put a damper on instrument packaging
Instruments that are still damp or wet after being sterilized cannot be placed in storage. The moisture that remains on or inside of a package can create a pathway for microorganisms to travel from the outside to the inside of the package. Moisture may be in the form of visible…
Water: A critical ingredient for instrument cleaning and disinfection
Using the right type of water for instrument reprocessing can prolong the life of medical instrumentation, contribute to effective function, and—most importantly—minimize the risk of adverse patient outcomes from contamination. The water quality requirement for various stages of instrument reprocessing depends on the type of instrument and the disinfection or…
New curriculum aims to reduce hazards of energy devices in the OR
When it comes to patient safety in the OR, the risk of fire or other damage caused by surgical instruments is an area that deserves greater attention. Professional medical societies concerned about such risks have developed a multidisciplinary curriculum that addresses appropriate and safe use of energy devices in surgery…
FDA, Joint Commission cite safety concerns with power morcellation
Reports about problems associated with power morcellation in gynecologic surgery led to safety warnings in November 2014 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Joint Commission. The FDA on November 24 updated its Safety Communication on the use of laparoscopic power morcellation in hysterectomies and myomectomies. The previous…
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