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I N F E C T I O N
P R E V E N T I O N
Does Your
Decontamination
Make the Grade?
DOWN TO DETAILS Proper decontamination demands compliance
with manufacturers' directions, the necessary equipment and supplies
to do the job, and the required elbow grease from your techs.
Avoid these pitfalls in the process.
I
David Bernard | Senior Associate Editor
t's a fact: Surgical instruments can't be sterile if they're not clean.
Decontamination lays the groundwork for sterilization by removing visible soil and reducing infectious organisms. But its steps
can be easily overlooked or misunderstood. Don't let these 8 errors
compromise your reprocessing.
1. Your decontamination room isn't up to the task.
Devices are decontaminated through prescribed steps, including
enzymatic soaks and manual or mechanical cleaning. Is your staff
equipped to follow these directions?
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2013
