Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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H I G H - L E V E L D I S I N F E C T I O N Clean or Contaminated? TIMELY TURNARONDS 4 Ways AERs Improve Scope Care A utomatic endoscope reprocessors get accumulate in reusable disinfectants. instruments back to procedure rooms 3. Fast reprocessing times. Automated leak sooner and safer, according to Jim Collins, BS, RN, CNOR, prac- testing, pre-wash cycles (after proper tice manager for the depart- manual cleaning of the scope), alcohol ment of gastroenterology and flushes for improved drying and the hepatology at the Cleveland capability to reprocess 2 scopes at a Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Here time in a single basin (depending on are a few of his reasons why. the size of the endoscopes) or 2 scopes independently in separate 1. Oxidative agents. PROCESS OF PRECAUTIONS Any residue left behind after initial cleaning will affect the outcome of automated reprocessing. basins can get scopes turned around faster. Peracetic acid is a more expensive option than simple aldehydes, but also more effective as a Did an endoscopic solution impair our scope reprocessing? Had we been damaging our scopes? Were germicidal solution. In general, oxidative we cleaning effectively enough to remove chemistries offer a better kill and less exposure each reprocessing cycle to an individual tech Laura Raio, CFER | Voorhees, N.J. the residue? The many questions led to an time than aldehol-based solutions. and specific endoscope to ensure reprocessing A few years ago, an industry expert made the case that one of the practices many of our GI endo- examination of our high-level disinfection process. Here's how we did it and what we learned. parameters have been met is hugely valuable 2. Single-cycle disinfectant capabilities. This information in the event of a cross-contamination investigation. is a big key in the future of automated endo- — Daniel Cook scope reprocessing, and the direction it's mov- scopists swear by to improve visualization during colonoscopies — diluting and injecting the suspension form of simethicone into a patient's colon — could jeopardize proper scope reprocessing. Was it possible our scopes weren't fully clean? Had we been putting our patients at risk? 5 3 4. Advanced recordkeeping. The ability to link SUPPLEMENT TO Targeting the issue ing toward to ensure infectious material doesn't cal infection prevention issue. Although flexible endoscopes don't require cleaning and high-level disinfection via a the sterilization that items entering sterile soak pan or automated endoscope tissue do, they do come in contact with reprocessor. Eliminating bioburden — flexible endoscopes didn't mention sime- mucous membranes and non-intact skin, including simethicone residue — from thicone, so I called the manufacturer so they require the friction of manual their lumens, ports and channels is a criti- directly to square their findings against O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E | M AY 2013 M AY 2013 | S U P P L E M E N T The manufacturer's directions for our TO O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E 5 4