Outpatient Surgery Magazine

The Art of the IV Start - December 2014 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

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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1 2 1 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E THINKING OF BUYING ... and speed of turnover are both keys to efficiency. While some AERs require the use of a particular disinfectant solution, others allow a choice of options. Find out how the staff decided on the solution they're using. Oftentimes it comes down to cost or exposure time. • The big question. In addition to questioning them on the pros and cons of the machines they chose, be sure to ask users if they would purchase them again. You might uncover some insights you wouldn't get by researching technical specs online or laying hands on the equip- ment in an exhibit hall. During a site visit last year, one manager told me she wouldn't make the same choice again. Her smaller AER seemed like an advantage at first, she said, but scopes had to be coiled so tightly inside the machine that she was afraid it was damaging them. • Cost and confidence. Some AERs offer options that add to their cost but may deliver more efficiency. For example, some models don't require the brushing of scopes before they're placed in the machine; high-powered flushing takes care of the manual cleaning for you. This can save time, but I've met a lot of GI managers who still prefer their scopes to be manually brushed and don't use this feature, even after spending the extra money on it, which is hardly beneficial from a budg- etary perspective. On the other hand, the utility of equipment that offers continuous leak testing or employs a computerized system that tracks scopes and cycle details cannot be understated. When we were in the market for a new AER, I wanted to make sure it did a thorough job quickly, so an automated alcohol flush at the end of the cycle to facilitate drying was extremely appealing. No longer would this extra step take our techs extra time and effort. It has been a great help. OSM Ms. Nail ( lna il@osesurg .com ) is the director of nursing for GI services at Outpatient Services East in Birmingham, Ala.

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