7 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 1 7
T
he 2 times we delivered contaminated sets to the OR
were 2 times too many. We were fortunate that no
patients suffered infections, but we realized we had to
improve the coordination and communication between
the ORs and the sterile processing department to ensure
unsterilized instruments never again reached the sterile field. We came
up with a standard sterility verification method to confirm the sterility
of instruments in wrapped instrument trays or rigid sterilization con-
tainers. Here's a step-by-step guide to how you can implement our
checkpoint method, which we call the "Four-Five Points Check" sys-
tem, so named because OR and SPD staff members verify the sterility
of instruments multiple times by checking sterilization indicators in
wrapped trays or rigid containers.
OSM
1. SEVERAL LOOKS
The program cen-
ters on a 4-point
check of wrapped
instrument trays
and a 5-point
check of rigid
instrument con-
tainers. We added both sets of checklists to instrument count
sheets — a line for each that staff members in SPD and the OR
must complete — for easy reference and consistent application.
Ms. Vergara (ffatimaverg@aol.com) is a staff nurse in the operating room at
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills (Calif.) Medical Center.
Guaranteed Delivery of Sterilized Sets
Our crosscheck program verifies that wrapped
and rigid instrument trays arrive in the OR ready for use.
Fatima C. Vergara, RN, BSN, CNOR, RNFA | Woodland Hills, Calif.
Photography
by Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills (Calif.) Medical Center
