Sterilization & Disinfection

Latest Issue of OR Manager
March 2025
Home Sterilization & Disinfection

Workshop: Sterile Processing is Instrumental to the OR's Success

Editor's Note In this workshop, one thing was made clear from the get go: “SPD [sterile processing department] is the key to success for the OR,” said W. Zeh Wellington, DNP, RN, NE-BC, director of procedural care and surgical services at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.…

Read More

By: Tarsilla Moura
October 17, 2022
Share

AORN: New Guideline for Processing Flexible Endoscopes recommends drying cabinets

Editor's Note The recently revised “Guideline for Processing Flexible Endoscopes” recommends that flexible endoscopes be stored in drying cabinets, the September 14 Periop Today reports. The explanation for this new recommendation includes: Optimal storage facilitates drying and decreases the potential for contamination. Studies on drying cabinets, which circulate HEPA-filtered air…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
September 15, 2022
Share

ANSI/AAMI ST98 provides cleaning validation requirements for device manufacturers

Editor's Note The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) on August 24 announced the publication of a new standard: “ANSI/AAMI ST98:2022, Cleaning validation of health care products—Requirements for development and validation of a cleaning process for medical devices.” The new standard not only provides manufacturers with a formalized…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
August 25, 2022
Share

Effectiveness of face shields for COVID-19 protection

Editor's Note This study led by researchers in the UK finds that face shields do not give high levels of protection against external droplet contamination. The researchers compared 13 styles of face shields in controlled laboratory settings, using a “coughing machine” that ejected fluorescent drops onto manikin heads. Among the…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
August 4, 2022
Share

Sponsored Message

Pediatric SSIs after ambulatory surgery

Editor's Note This study led by researchers at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, New York, finds that morbidity is also associated with surgical site infections (SSIs) after ambulatory surgery in children. Of 65,056 patients analyzed and 13, 795 chart reviews, 45 SSIs were identified after pediatric ambulatory surgery. The weighted…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
August 3, 2022
Share

FDA: Hospira recalls one lot of Propofol

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on July 13, posted a nationwide recall by Hospira Inc (a Pfizer Company) of one lot (DX9067) of Propofol Injectable Emulsion, USP (containing Benzyl alcohol), 100 mL single patient use glass fliptop vial. The recall was initiated because of visible particulate observed…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
August 2, 2022
Share

Sponsored Message

A team approach to reducing instrumentation, costs during the age of COVID-19

ORs rebounding from the financial impact of COVID-19 are looking for ways to reduce expenses. With rising costs coming from all angles of the economy, some have adopted systemwide processes to reduce, streamline, and improve surgical instrumentation sets. Two major health systems, the Cleveland Clinic and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital…

Read More

By: Jennifer Lubell
July 26, 2022
Share

AAMI's response to GI societies' statement on ST91

Editor's Note The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), in June, published a response rebuking a joint statement issued by several GI societies opposing the "ANSI/AAMI ST91:2021, Flexible and semi-rigid endoscope processing in health care facilities." Many of the ST91 working group were dismayed that the GI society’s…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 21, 2022
Share

Effectiveness of decontaminating PPE with methylene blue

Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, finds that methylene blue with light (MBL) photochemical treatment can be used to decontaminate personal protective equipment (PPE) contaminated with COVID-19. MBL robustly and consistently inactivated three coronaviruses, including COVID-19, with 99.8% to >99.9% virus inactivation across…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 12, 2022
Share

Improving endoscope precleaning workflows

Editor's Note Researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, gathered an interdisciplinary team to organize a safe and time efficient precleaning workflow for their fast-paced GI clinic that decreased time spent precleaning by 50%. The researchers identified inadequate precleaning processes, including staff who did not follow…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
June 29, 2022
Share

Join our community

Learn More
Video Spotlight
Live chat by BoldChat