ing.
In the manual cleaning of endoscopes, you must follow specific
steps in sequence to minimize any possible cross-contamination into
the next patient, says Melvin Gonzalez, the training and education
manager of the sterile processing department at Mount Sinai Hospital
in New York, N.Y. These instructions dictate time and duration of each
5 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R U Y 2 0 1 8
I use a clear plastic mini blind
wand to measure the depth of
water in my reprocessing
sinks. I know many facilities
place adhesive "water fill line"
strips in the sink to measure
water level, but it's possible
bacteria could grow behind the
adhesive. I don't want anything
in my sink but water and enzy-
matic detergent. You can pick
up a blind wand at any home
goods store. The yellow marks on the wand are in 1-inch
increments. Before you add enzymatic detergent, you fill the
basin with water that's at the right temperature and depth, per
the manufacturer's guidelines. The measuring stick ensures
you have the precise amount of water before adding the proper
amount of detergent for a perfect solution.
Sosena Melaku
Pediatric Specialists of Virginia
Fairfax, Va.
smelaku@psvcare.org
Homemade Measuring Stick for Your Reprocessing Sink
• MAGIC WAND Sosena Melaku displays the mini blind
wand she uses to measure water depth in her reprocessing
sinks.
Glory
S.
Billman,
BSN,
RN
