Tag: Infection Prevention

New AAMI standard for endoscope reprocessing

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has published its first standard on flexible endoscope reprocessing. ANSI/AAMI ST91: 2015 Flexible and Semi-rigid Endoscope Processing in Health Care Facilities was developed from research and input from manufacturers of flexible endoscopes, users, consultants, and regulatory bodies. The new standard, which…

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By: OR Manager
August 17, 2015
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FDA releases supplemental measures for duodenoscope reprocessing

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on August 4 released a Safety Communication that contains supplemental measures to enhance duodenoscope reprocessing. The measures emerged from an expert panel meeting earlier this year. In addition to following manufacturer reprocessing instructions, the FDA says facilities can use one or more of…

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By: OR Manager
August 4, 2015
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UTIs reduced by focusing on catheter use in the OR

Editor's Note Surgical teams at Northwesterm Memorial Hospital in Chicago are decreasing the rate of urinary tract infections by focusing on the use of catheters before and immediately after surgical procedures. A process improvement program reduced the number of UTIs associated with catheters placed in patients in the OR from…

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By: OR Manager
July 30, 2015
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SHEA, IDSA update strategies to prevent SSIs

Editor's Note The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of  America have updated the 2008 Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute care Hospitals. The evidence-based recommendations include 15 strategies for SSI prevention and a special section on implementation that emphasizes a team-based approach…

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By: OR Manager
July 13, 2015
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Researchers develop world's most sensitive test for superbugs

Editor's Note A diagnostic tool developed by researchers at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, can detect the smallest traces of compounds that signal the presence of an infectious disease, such as C difficile, MRSA, hepatitis C, and other superbugs. The test has the best sensitivity ever reported for a detection system.…

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By: OR Manager
July 8, 2015
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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…

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By: OR Manager
May 14, 2015
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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…

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By: OR Manager
May 14, 2015
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UV light disinfection robots help to overpower pathogens

Disinfection robots are first on the ECRI Institute’s 2015 Top 10 Hospital C-Suite Watch List, which includes new and emerging technologies healthcare providers should know about. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a persistent problem, and a recent study supports the efficacy of disinfection robots. However, the technology is expensive, and experts…

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By: OR Manager
May 14, 2015
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Infections spur new guidelines for endoscope reprocessing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 17 published a final guidance on reprocessing reusable medical devices. This guidance, which provides manufacturers with recommendations to validate their reprocessing instructions, comes on the heels of a host of “superbug” bacteria outbreaks related to reprocessing of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) duodenoscopes.…

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By: OR Manager
April 17, 2015
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Ebola surgical protocols enhance safety of patients and personnel

In the months since Ebola patients were first treated in US hospitals, much progress has been made in establishing protocols to protect patients and healthcare workers from harm. Though the number of Ebola patients in the US remains small compared with the thousands in African countries, the disease continues to…

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By: OR Manager
March 26, 2015
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