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S U S T A I N A B L E
S U C C E S S
to be reprocessed, but first buy back only non-invasive items such as
sequential compression devices, pulse oximetry probes and blood pressure cuffs. When your team feels comfortable using those devices,
progress to the more invasive devices such as burrs, blades and trocars.
When shopping third-party reprocessing firms, ask if the FDA has
inspected the facilities and which parts of the reprocessing process are
validated. Can they provide documentation that the FDA has approved
all aspects — cleaning, packaging and sterilization? Do they have limits
on how many times items can be reprocessed and, if so, how are those
limits determined and tracked?
3. Invest in rigid containers
Rigid instrument sterilization containers reduce the front-end purchase costs of what can amount to mountains of blue sterile wrap.
The containers also potentially reduce ergonomic injuries suffered by
reprocessing staff members who repeatedly wrap instrument packs
throughout the course of a day.
Additionally, containers eliminate the possibility of instrument
tray corners poking through sterile wrap during reprocessing and
compromising instrument sterility which, if discovered in the OR,
often results in staff putting the items through immediate-use cycles
— a practice that, from infection control and patient safety perspectives, should be avoided whenever possible.
Instrument retention is also improved because instruments are
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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 | F E B R U A R Y 2013
