4 2 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A 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 5
containing sterile water and a syringe.
3. Keep instruments moist. In preparation for transport to the decontamination
area, you want to keep instruments moist until they can be cleaned. This will
prevent blood, organic materials and debris from drying and forming biofilm.
There are several ways to do this: Place a towel moistened with water (not
saline) on top of the instruments, place the instruments inside a package
designed to maintain humid conditions, or pre-soak them with an instrument
spray or gel designed for pretreatment (enzymatic solution, for example).
If you use a pre-soaking solution, be sure to consult the manufacturer's writ-
ten recommendations for the correct dilution, temperature and soak time. Note:
If you use liquids to soak contaminated items on the sterile field, discard the
liquid before you transport items to decontam. The contaminated liquid can be
suctioned into a canister or a waste management system, or disposed of down a
drain, depending on your facility's options and policy. If it's not possible to dis-
pose of the contaminated liquid, you must transport the solution in a leakproof
container marked as biohazard to the decontamination area for disposal.
4. Stack instruments wisely. What happens if you place delicate and other easily
damaged instruments under heavier instruments during transport to the decont-
Here are 10 ways your OR team can contribute to
safe and effective instrument decontamination.
1. Wipe instruments of gross bioburden and irrigate
lumens.
2. Separate sharps and place in a puncture-resistant con-
tainer.
3. Disassemble multi-part instruments and keep them
together.
4. Protect delicate instruments and sharps.
5. Keep instrument sets together.
6. Remove disposable blades from reusable surgical instru-
ments.
7. Separate linens, waste and disposable instruments from
reusable instruments .
8. Dispose of soaking solutions before transportation.
9. Place contaminated items in closed containers.
10. Mark containers as biohazard.
— Rose E. Seavey, MBA, BS, RN, CNOR, CRCST, CSPDT
POST-IT NOTE
Contaminated Instrument Transportation Checklist
