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dards, such as those put forth by the Association for the
Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (
aami.org
).
Post-op pre-cleaning protocols generally entail removing gross
debris from instruments as soon as possible after use, before they
are sent to the decon-
tamination room. Blood, tissue and other visible soils should be
wiped off with a sponge and sterile water — not saline, which can
corrode instrument surfaces with prolonged contact. Flexible endo-
scopes and other lumened instruments should be flushed.
To prevent bioburden from setting, keep instruments in a moist
environment while they're awaiting transport to the decontam
room. Place a damp towel on top of them, or apply an enzymatic
spray, foam or gel into trays and basins.
Decontamination room details
Inspect, separate, sort and disassemble instruments upon their
arrival in the decontamination room. Manually clean those that
have debris on them. Inspect all instruments for debris and thor-
I N S T R U M E N T R E P R O C E S S I N G
SURVEILLANCE SWAB
ATP testing can deter-
mine how effective your
cleaning process is.
Sue
Klacik,
BS,
CRCST,
ACE,
FCS,
CHL,
CIS
