Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Special Outpatient Surgery Edition - Infection Control - May 2017

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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4 2 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 7 1. Test and retest The work begins even before you select a brand of containers for use in your facility. A key question: Is the brand you're considering com- patible with your sterilization equip- ment? Some containers are meant only for steam sterilization, for example. When you've narrowed the field, ask vendors to send sam- ples of their models. The manufac- turers will have validated these sam- ples, but you'll want to verify that each device is acceptable for use through your own product testing. You want to create a challenging scenario to see which containers are con- ducive to the most effective sterilization. Here's how. Place both biological indi- cators and class 5 chemical indicators in each container you want to test. Ask the manufacturer to identify which parts of their containers are most resistant to sterilization and place the indicators in those locations (typically, that will be the corners). Mark each indicator based on where it's placed in the container ("UL" for upper left and "LR" for lower right, for example). Next, load each container into the sterilizer in the most challenging location, such as above the sterilizer's drain. Be sure to mark each container sample as a test case to ensure it never ends up in an OR. After you've selected a brand and made a purchase, you'll want to continue this testing yearly to ensure containers remain validated for use. 2. Clean correctly Some staff members falsely assume containers that are taken to the OR and removed before the patient arrives can be used again without being cleaned. • LOW DENSITY Place sterilization indicators in challenging areas within containers to ensure cycles meet critical variables. Pamela Bevelhymer, RN, BSN, CNOR

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