3 8 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E M A Y 2 0 1 5
I
t all starts in the OR. Yes, the real dirty work may take place in sterile
processing, but decontamination begins in the operating room, at the
point of use, where OR personnel should prepare soiled instruments and
devices for reprocessing. How?
• By wiping instruments down and removing bioburden so biofilms don't
begin to form. Biofilms, a resistant layer of microorganisms that tightly adhere
to surfaces and can't be removed easily, can begin to form in as little as 10 min-
utes.
Decontamination
Begins in the OR
z STARTING POINT Surgical instruments that aren't clean
can't be sterilized, making effective decontamination the first,
and perhaps most critical, step of the sterilization process.
How you care for and clean instruments in the
OR plays a big role in their safe and speedy return.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
Rose E. Seavey, MBA, BS, RN, CNOR, CRCST, CSPDT | Denver, Colo.
