M A Y 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 5 7
• Will the system's turnaround time suit your needs?
• Does the system have user-friendly and intuitive features to detect overload
or other errors that might compromise sterilization?
Reprocessing recommendations provided by instrument and device manu-
facturers must be compatible with the parameters of your specific low-temp
sterilizers, says Donna Swenson, BS, CRCST, CHL, ACE, president of Sterile
Processing Quality Services in Stickney, Ill. Also, ensure low-temp sterilization
options are validated to sterilize lumened instruments and, if they are, what
length lumens they can handle.
Low-temp sterilization offers a number of advantages, perhaps chief among
them avoiding the prolonged cool-down cycle that steam sterilization requires,
says Frank Myers, MA, CIC, FAPIC, assistant associate director of infection
prevention and clinical epidemiology at University of California, San Diego
Health. A newly approved device offers hydrogen peroxide and ozone sterili-
zation in a single cycle. "A dual-system always makes a device better," says
Mr. Myers. "If it can't kill bioburden with one method, it can kill it with anoth-
er." Plus, a mixed-load capability means you can sterilize multiple types of
instruments in a single load, which minimizes instrument sorting and offers
significant time savings.
Mr. Myers also points out that documentation technology on sterilizers is get-
sterile processing staffs to reinforce how to clean them properly.
"For scopes that come in contact with non-intact skin or mucous membranes,
high-level disinfection may be sufficient," says Nancy Chobin, RN, CSPDM, CFER,
the president of Sterile Processing University in Lebanon, N.J. "Don't make any
changes to your reprocessing protocols that stray from the current guidelines —
at least not yet. Additional guidance is on its way from industry leaders on this
topic."
— Daniel Cook and Bill Donahue
