their central sterile departments?
Ms. Patrick: The biggest problem I see is not fol-
lowing the manufacturer's instructions for use
(IFUs). You need to look at the sterilizer's
instructions, the instrument manufacturer's
directions and even the wrapper or container's
IFUs. Sometimes they conflict. If that's the
case, then you need to contact the manufac-
turers to choose the right process, though usu-
ally it's best to go with the one that's most
stringent.
Training and certification of technicians can
also help. I know I personally hate it when I go
into a facility and the staffers or surgeons say,
"I love when so-and-so is back in central ster-
ile, he gets the job done in 10 minutes!" Then
you go check the high-level disinfection solu-
tion and see that it requires a 12-minute dwell
time. Often these techs have only a high
school diploma, get on-the-job training and
don't understand the complexity and need to
follow each and every step, especially if a doc-
tor is behind them screaming they need the
scope.
Speaking of scopes, problems with flexible endo-
scope reprocessing have been all over the news
recently. How can facilities reduce their risk?
Ms. Nucci: I regularly see several issues with
endoscope reprocessing, and not just the
8 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 1 6
HOW DOES YOUR DISINFECTANT RATE?
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