Surgery's Dirty Little Secret
A closer look at why contaminated instruments
continue to turn up in too many ORs.
2 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 9
A
Google news search of "dirty surgical instruments" will
turn up several examples of surgeons allegedly operat-
ing on patients with soiled tools, including the highly
publicized sterility issues that plagued Detroit (Mich.)
Medical Center. How could that possibly happen? Gail
Horvath, MSN, RN, CNOR, CRCST, senior patient safety analyst and
consultant at ECRI Institute in Plymouth Meeting Pa., offers some
insights. Her recent analysis of contaminated surgical instrument
reports submitted to ECRI Institute by 123 hospitals identified several
factors that can lead to reprocessing errors. How many need to be
addressed in your facility?
Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor
• TOUGH JOB Sterile processing departments are handling increasing numbers of complex instruments that are more difficult
to clean and sterilize.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
