Sterilization & Disinfection

Latest Issue of OR Manager
March 2025
Home Sterilization & Disinfection

No such thing as downtime: CSP renovation does not stop surgery

Many of today’s medical facilities have been modernized, but some still have areas of aging infrastructure. The central sterile processing (CSP) department at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton, Ohio, is one such example. The original Terrazzo floor from when the facility was built in 1953 had become hazardous. The…

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By: Barbara Underwood, MBA, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM
June 22, 2021
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FDA clears single-use flexible cystoscope from UroViu

Editor's Note UroViu Corporation, Bellevue, Washington, announced May 24 that it has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its portable, flexible single-use cystoscope. The Uro-G has a fully deflectable tip that enables physicians to perform interventional and diagnostic urologic procedures in various settings, without reprocessing.

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By: Judy Mathias
May 27, 2021
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ANSI/AAMI ST79 amendments refine sterilization practices

Amendments have been added to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standard ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in Health Care Facilities. The standard, which is used in healthcare facilities to guide their sterilization processes, is considered a useful resource to promote best…

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By: Susan Klacik, BS, CRCST, ACE, CIS, FCS
May 19, 2021
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The Joint Commission announces top 5 most challenging requirements for 2020

Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 12, listed the top 5 standards most frequently identified as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews from January 1 to December 31, 2020. The top five for accredited hospitals are: NPSG.15.01.01: Reduce the risk for suicide. EP1. IC.02.02.01: The hospital reduces the risk…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 13, 2021
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Breathe easier with the right respiratory protection

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of respiratory protection in healthcare settings and in the community. Healthcare workers at high risk of infection need the most effective respiratory protection, and not all surgical masks and respirators are alike. Checking for proper fit, donning and doffing correctly, and following manufacturers’…

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By: Judith M. Mathias, MA, RN
March 19, 2021
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Systematic review of N95 respirator reprocessing

Editor's Note This systematic review by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, of five decontamination processes for N95 respirators finds ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, moist heat, and microwave generated steam reprocessing to be effective and simple to implement. A total of 42 studies were reviewed. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, moist heat,…

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By: Judy Mathias
March 4, 2021
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Joint Commission conducting both virtual and onsite surveys in 2021

The Joint Commission stopped doing most onsite surveys and reviews from March 16 to May 31, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, they developed processes for conducting offsite or virtual events, and as of mid-December, more than 1,200 offsite surveys and reviews had been conducted across…

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By: Judith M. Mathias, MA, RN
February 17, 2021
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Diligence in implant processing will decrease infection risks

Implants are foreign bodies, and they increase the risk of a surgical site infection. Processing implants requires strict adherence to the required steps because implants have sustained contact with sterile tissue. An implant is defined as a device that is placed into a surgically or naturally formed cavity of the…

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By: Susan Klacik, BS, CRCST, ACE, CIS, FCS
February 17, 2021
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ECRI issues 2021 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards, managing EUA devices tops list

Editor's Note ECRI , on January 28, issued its Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2021. First on the list is the complexity of managing devices that have Food & Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ECRI experts caution that hospitals need to watch…

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By: Judy Mathias
January 28, 2021
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FDA reduces N95 decontamination cycles from 20 to 4

Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA), on January 22, lowered the number of times an N95 mask can be cleaned and reused to 4, down from a previous maximum of 20 reuses, the January 25 Fierce Biotec reports. The FDA reissued emergency use authorizations for 10 N95 decontamination…

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By: Judy Mathias
January 28, 2021
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