4 0 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
that ATP tests measure bioluminescence, which is
produced by living cells. These tests work well if
your instrument is being reprocessed relatively quick-
ly, but if it's sitting for several hours or even days
before reprocessing, ATP tests may miss residual
debris trapped inside lumens. While it's impractical
for techs to use chemical cleaning verification tests
each time they clean an instrument, you can imple-
ment a program where these tests are used routinely
on different types of instruments, and their various
features, to ensure your cleaning processes are effec-
tive and working well.
5. Seek out continuing education
Debate continues about whether sterile processing
techs need to be certified to properly care for the com-
plex instruments they're asked to handle. Certification
is a good start, but it won't completely solve the repro-
cessing issues that continue to occur. Instead, you need
to focus on keeping your techs educated on the correct
way to clean and sterilize instruments. Consider giving
them the time and financial support they need to
attend classes and conferences, so they can stay cur-
rent on the latest reprocessing advances and technolo-
gies. The price you'll pay for improperly cleaned instru-
ments will far exceed any investment you make in
ensuring surgery's dirtiest job is done right each and
every time.
OSM
BY
®
®
Ms. Swenson (donnaswenson@spqs.org) is the
president and CEO of Sterile Processing Quality
Services in Stickney, Ill.
