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Different purposes and ments, the label must be clear and readily solving the active ingredient or affecting
applications understood. The statements on the label how the product works.
In addition to understanding the classes of must be accurate without any false claims
chemicals, hospital staff must know how to and they must distinguish between man- Precautionary Statements:
use them. Hospital surfaces such as floors, datory and recommended action. Because The precautionary statement lists all the in-
walls, countertops, light fixtures, furniture they are so carefully prepared and thor- formation regarding the hazardous nature
and patient care-related equipment can and oughly reviewed, the labeling on an EPA- of the germicidal chemistry or sterilant.
do serve as intermediate hosts to both registered germicidal cleaner provides an Here you will also find the directions for
pathogenic and opportunistic microorgan- enormous amount of valuable information use, proper disposal methods, first-aid in-
isms. These surfaces are considered a pos- for the user. structions, and general information for stor-
sible source of healthcare-associated infec- Below is a list of the important informa- age.
tions and must be decontaminated with an tion that should be available to hospital staff The directions for use are specific as to
appropriate disinfecting chemistry. In ad- on every EPA-regulated label: the dilution rate, time and temperature for
dition, different areas of the healthcare fa- greatest efficacy, and the appropriate pro-
cility require different levels of decontami- EPA Registration Number tective clothing, masks, goggles to wear to
nation. For example, a lobby bench may A number is assigned to a product when it reduce the risk of injury. The proper stor-
require a lower level of disinfection than the is registered with EPA. If this number does age conditions section explains what actions
floor of an infected patient’s room or an not appear on the front of the product la- and environmental conditions will help
operating room. bel, it means that the product is not regis- maintain the product until it is used and
Since there is no one-type-fits-all chemis- tered with EPA. The registration number instructs on appropriate disposal of the di-
try for all applications in hospitals, there is shows that EPA has reviewed the product luted chemistry, any unused portion and
a lot to know about the multitude of prod- data and has determined that the product the empty container. The first aid recom-
ucts in use. It is critical for environmental can be used with minimal risk if the direc- mendations will detail proper action if
staff to understand the properties and ap- tions for use are followed. someone has accidentally swallowed or had
propriate uses and handling of all the chem- the chemistry splash on their skin or into
istries and formulations being used in their Active Ingredients their eyes. It may even have a “note to phy-
healthcare center, for several important rea- An active ingredient is known or proven to sicians” that will provide doctors with spe-
sons. The first is to ensure the safety of the be responsible for killing microorganisms. cific medical information.
first people to come into contact with the All active ingredients must be listed by their
chemicals – hospital personnel. Then, when proper chemical name and the percentage Efficacy
they’re being applied, it’s to maintain the that exists in the product. The efficacy statement must list the specific
integrity of hospital surfaces and devices, microorganisms that the product was suc-
while effectively disinfecting them. Ulti- Inert Ingredients cessfully tested against. If the product was
mately, it’s to assure the safety of the The inert ingredients do not have an ac- tested under adverse conditions, e.g.: hard
facility’s patients. tive role in the killing of microorganisms water and/or 5% serum, this information
and do not have to be listed on the label. may also appear on the label. This is good
Labels are a robust resource Only the percentage of inert ingredients to know, especially if your facility has hard
The labels on healthcare cleaning and dis- in the germicide must be listed. The inert water or performs a lot of orthopedic sur-
infection formulations are regulated by ingredients are usually added to serve geries, for example.
EPA. To comply with the EPA require- other purposes, such as assisting in dis- See SELF-STUDY on page 32
10. B. , E . 9 , B . 8 , B . 7 , D . 6 , A . 5 , C . 4 , B . 3 , E . 2 , A . 1 Answers: est Self-T
www.hpnonline.com • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS November 2009 31
0911-CE.pmd 31 10/9/2009, 5:03 PM
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