cleaning process. No one step cleans everything, and cleaning and rins-
ing doesn't remove all debris. Instruments may appear clean to the
naked eye after the manual cleaning and rinsing phase, but biofilm that
dries on surfaces might remain intact in hard-to-see areas.
Each step in the decontamination process is critically important,
from cleaning at the point of use to removal of biofilm in central ster-
ile before sterilization. It's not possible to clean and disinfect without
completing each step of the process separately and properly.
Half of the respondents believe
enzymatic spray easily removes biofilm.
It's interesting that responses to this question were split down the
middle. Many nurses think enzymatic spray is a magic elixir for
biofilm, that all they have to do is spray dry, caked-on blood and —
poof! — it's gone. That's simply not the case. Once biofilm establishes
itself on surfaces, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to remove. In
fact, manual scrubbing alone doesn't necessarily get the job done. The
key is to keep it from forming in the first place, which is why point-of-
use cleaning during cases is extremely important. In fact, proper
point-of-use cleaning sets up the entire decontamination process for
success.
Only one-fourth know covering instruments with a water-moistened
towel is an appropriate way to ready them for transport from the OR to
central sterile.
Instruments must be kept moist during transport in order to prevent
biofilm from drying and sticking to surfaces, especially if a delay is
expected between the time they arrive in central sterile and when staff
there can begin the reprocessing process. It's a common misconception
that enzymatic spray must be used for this purpose. It certainly can be,
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January 2015 | O U T PAT I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
