Members of the OR team should flush and rinse instruments as soon
as cases end and, before transporting them to sterile processing,
make sure they're sprayed with enzymatic cleaner and covered with a
wet cloth in accordance with manufacturers' IFUs. After they clean
lumened or cannulated instruments in sterile processing, techs could
use a borescope to examine the scope's channels to ensure bioburden
has been removed so effective sterilization can occur.
Focused attention
Instrument reprocessing has become more difficult and more fraught
with risk as the pressure mounts for facilities to perform as many pro-
cedures as possible and as more complex instrumentation has
emerged. Ms. Horvath maintains the dirty instrument problem is not a
function of reprocessing techs being bad at their jobs. "It's not people
who are failing," she explains. "Instrument reprocessing is a multifac-
torial process that has multiple potential failure points in it."
Ms. Horvath says there's heightened awareness about the impor-
tance of proper instrument care, but there's also a heightened chance
for things to go wrong, despite everyone's best intentions. Reducing
the risk of contaminated instruments being sent back to the OR
demands addressing the issue from several angles and many layers.
It's a daunting task, but one that can no longer be ignored.
Start by encouraging the reprocessing staff to speak up if proper
instrument care is lacking, says Mr. Voigt. "They understand better
than anyone the barriers that exist and what issues their department
faces," he adds. "Empower them to make decisions on process
improvement initiatives that will ultimately improve patient safety."
OSM
M A Y 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 9
"Reprocessing techs aren't glorified dishwashers."
— Gail Horvath, MSN, RN, CNOR, CRCST
