L
umened
instru-
ments
come in all
shapes and
sizes — from the tiny
ophthalmic cannulas
to laparoscopic instru-
ments to gastrointestinal endoscopes. they all have one thing in com-
mon: They're difficult to clean and can cause dangerous conse-
quences if contaminated. Just turn to the recent deadly duodenoscope
outbreak as an example (osmag.net/yD4PhV). It's a detailed practice, but
lumened instruments can be reprocessed correctly if you follow the
right steps and take advantage of technology aimed to make the job
easier.
1. Pre-clean at the point of use
Many don't realize how important pre-cleaning at the point of use is.
Keep instruments moist after use to ensure that blood, tissue and
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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 O N L I N E | J U N E 2 0 1 5
Best Practices for Reprocessing
Lumened Instruments
Don't let these
tricky instruments
slip by without a
thorough cleaning.
Donna Swenson,
BS, CRCST, CHL, ACE
Stickney, Ill.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
CHALLENGING CHANNELS
Lumened instruments of all shapes
and sizes are some of the most
difficult instruments to reprocess.