DECONTAMINATION
TOE probe reprocessing. The automatic leak test also helps to maintain the value of the probes, as damage can be detected early and safety of the patient preserved. This is important as a leak may cause a major issue with a patient’s heart.
TOE probe transport and storage Safe storage and protected transport in contamination-proof and sealed containers are also important to prevent recontamination of the TOE probe. In the event of recontamination, the reprocessing procedure needs to be repeated, which increases the time and costs associated with reprocessing a probe. Out of the three methods discussed here, the fully automated process proposed is the only one that has a coordinated storage and transport solution4
The TOE probes can be stored in a storage or drying cabinet and can also be recorded and documented using a barcode scanner via a touch-screen display. During operation, all process parameters are constantly monitored to ensure adherence to critical values.
Summary Reprocessing TOE probes is becoming a major challenge in the daily routine of hospitals, as the number of examinations using this medical device is growing fast. Due to their high acquisition costs, most hospitals
cannot have a large inventory of TOE probes. The size of the probe itself and the fragile parts of the TOE probes are also part of the challenge. All these challenges increase the pressure put on the reprocessing phase. With manual or semi-automatic processes, we have a risk of TOE probes being insufficiently cleaned or disinfected by not respecting the full chemistry contact time or, even worse, damaged in the case of shocks or mishandling – such as immersion of the handle of the probe.
This is why having a fully automated system will avoid all the pitfalls of manual error – preserving the probe and, ultimately, preserving patient safety.
from the same provider. About the author CSJ
References 1. Van Maerken et al. A recurrent and transesophageal echocardiography-associated outbreak of extend- ed-spectrum-lactamase-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex in cardiac surgery patients, Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (2019) 8:152
2. MHRA Medical Device Alert Ref: MDA/2012/037 Issued: 28 June 2012
3. Kanagala P, Bradley C, Hoffman P, Steeds RP, Guidelines for Transesophageal Echocardiography Probe Cleaning and Disinfection from the British Society of Echocardiography Authors: 2011 oct
4.
https://www.soluscope.com/eng/page/ complete-solution
Cecile Paya leads marketing at Nanosonics EMEA. She develops awareness and education about ultrasound infection prevention, bringing to the attention of the EMEA market the latest clinical developments, research and news, including best practice from around the world. With more than 25 years of experience in the medical devices industry, Cecile has occupied various positions in sales and marketing within large organisations and has focused on infection prevention, during the past 10 years. She has been part of the Nanosonics team for the past two years.
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