Editor's Note In a new guidance document for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has released a new guidance document updating best practices for radiation sterilization validation and routine control of single-use systems. The document, AAMI CR513:2024; Guidance on radiation sterilization validation and…

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Editor's Note The US Food & Drug Administration has designated recalls of Baxter’s Life2000 Ventilator and the I-Pack Injection Kit from Bausch + Lomb and subsidiary Synergetics Inc. as Class 1, the most severe category indicating serious risk of injury or death. According to FDA’s July 15 announcement, the ventilator…

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Editor's Note The 2024 OR Manager Conference Poster Gallery provides a forum for presenting completed research, in progress initiatives with preliminary results, or a new approach to a concept to solve a problem related to perioperative leadership. We strive to promote communication and collaborative research among nurses, provide a setting…

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Editor's Note Amid continued debate about the best choice of preoperative skin antiseptic, findings published in JAMA June 17 show that povidone iodine in alcohol offers similar outcomes to chlorhexidine gluconate when used in alcohol. The randomized clinical trial included 3,360 patients in 3 tertiary care hospitals in Switzerland, 2,187…

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Reforming instrument reprocessing practices does not always end with the main sterile processing department (SPD). Holding clinics to the same standard adds to the challenge, whether they are associated with hospitals or operate independently. Nonetheless, standardization is just as essential to maintaining efficiency and quality standards. Establishing and maintaining best…

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Editor's Note  The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has updated its standard on ethylene oxide (EO) sterilizers for healthcare facilities, according to a June 12 press release. The first update in two decades, the fourth edition ANSI/AAMI ST24:2024 covers labeling, safety, performance, and testing requirements for general-purpose…

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Over 20 years ago, an article from Johns Hopkins published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that Staphylococcus aureus decolonization of the nares can decrease risk of surgical site infections (SSI). Since then, nasal decolonization—the application of a topical antimicrobial or antiseptic agent to the nares—has been adopted…

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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) play an increasingly crucial role in delivering outpatient surgical care that is efficient, effective, and—most importantly—safe. As the ASC sector continues to grow and evolve, maintaining best practices in hand hygiene and environmental cleaning and disinfection is imperative to protect patients from infections. ASCs also should…

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Inspecting surgical devices is a time-consuming process. However, diligently checking every instrument prior to sterilization is essential to ensuring safe, proper functioning. As the last people to see devices before they are used for patient care, sterile processing technicians must be thorough. Exterior surfaces should be inspected for flaws such…

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Editor's Note New World Health Organization (WHO) guidance aims to prevent the occurrence of bloodstream and other infections caused by improper use of catheters during medical procedures. Released May 9, the global guidelines focus on insertion, maintenance, and removal of catheters during medical procedures, which can damage organs and cause…

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