F
rom cannulated drill bits to flexible endoscopes,
lumened instruments are likely to be your toughest
reprocessing challenge. Fortunately, the tools designed
for the job generally work very well — with some
important caveats. One is that you need to follow manu-
facturers' instructions to the letter. Another is that you need to let
your most important tools, your SPD people, function at their highest
level. More on that below.
But no matter how good your equipment is, and no matter how pre-
cise, attentive and dedicated your sterile processing techs are, their job
A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 7
Rules of
Reprocessing:
Lumened Instruments
Get back to the basics to properly sterilize these complex instruments.
Gail Horvath, MSN, RN, CNOR, CRCST | Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
• DETAILS MATTER If your scopes didn't come with a proprietary brush, be sure the one you use has the right diameter, the
right length and the right bristle type.
