COVE R S TORY
in an entire entity dedicated to developing ICC to exceed at cleaning.
Why are chemical prices increasing? Rising prices are a combination of several well-known circumstances. Firstly, COVID-19 played a key role and, despite the fall of global cases, the impact is still very much felt in every industry. Raw material availability, shipping disruptions and labour shortages have inevitably raised prices across all industries, including the medical field.3 Now, with unprecedented increases in gas and influencing political situations, it’s clear that further challenges are ahead. Prices are climbing across the board, with no signs of stabilising soon. For decontamination units, this has created increased pressure on budgets leading many managers to explore areas in which savings can be achieved.
Should managers be asking if a cheaper chemistry can get the job done?
It is essential to clarify and reinforce the importance of ICC when it comes to cleaning and reprocessing instruments. Unsuitable ICC for reprocessing medical devices no matter how low cost they may seem, cannot be used. It is well known, decontamination of re-usable medical devices is a key element of infection control in clinical settings mitigating healthcare acquired infections. In the past, the importance of ICC in reprocessing cycles was underestimated. Fortunately, these days, their importance is more widely recognised and there is a wide number of manufacturers investing in R&D to create better and sustainable formulations. These improvements in ICC have shown benefits over the years and maybe cheaper formulations will no longer perform to the standards the infection prevention field requires and demands.
Will price increases impact the selection of the cleaning chemistry to be used during the reprocessing process?
Selecting the correct ICC for the cleaning step ensures there is no damage caused to the medical devices and cleaning efficacy is achieved. It is also important to mention that not all ICC work the same way, which means that some available solutions are more suitable than others for clinical use. The assessment should rely on cleaning efficacy and long-term instrument protection. There are different types of costs that should
Figure 2: Difference between the instrument protection on commercialised cleaning chemistries and Prolystica™ HP Cleaning Chemistries.
be taken into consideration. Prolystica™ HP Cleaning Chemistries is designed to mitigate these hidden costs and its patented formulations prevent instrument degradation.
What are the different types of costs?
There are several types of costs, for example, the cost of poor cleaning, and then bioburden on instruments is baked during the next steps of the process, forming a layer for micro-organisms that can survive and possibly infect patients. Other costs include aggressive cleaning and instrument damage, poor machine and instruments compatibility, and poor staff safety.
The most used cost is the upfront price paid for the ICC. Cost per litre is no longer a useful way of comparing product costs and has been replaced by cost per cycle. Some manufacturers of ICC have launched concentrated solutions and the true value a department pays for each cycle can only be estimated by doing a cost per cycle exercise. For these calculations, other information is needed in addition to the upfront cost of the bottle, such as the dosing rates of the product, the sump size of the AWD or the sink capacity. The cost per cycle can be calculated as shown in Figure 3. Using these formulas, facility managers have a better understanding of the ICC consumption and true cost. Well-founded manufacturers will recommend a reliable cost comparison to help users calculate their investment, equipping them with cost calculator tools. STERIS provides these types of tools to help their customers with their decision-making process. The important question is: ‘how do you select the most cost-effective cleaning chemistry?’ When purchasing an ICC, it is important to consider the many factors detailed in this article. Documentation should be requested
Cost per cycle = dosing rate X litres of the sump X quoted price per litre Annual cost = Cost per cycle X n of cycles a week X 52 weeks
Figure 3: Example of how to calculate cost per cycle and annual cost of a cleaning chemistry.
JUNE 2022
up front to ensure the ICC is appropriate for reprocessing medical devices, such as, but is not limited to, reports on cleaning efficacy, aquatic toxicity, cytotoxicity, biodegradability, risibility, substrate compatibility and instrument protection. A trial will help in evaluating the possible hidden costs or its benefits, which should help make an informed judgment on the ICC selection. A good manufacturer with high quality, specially designed and formulated ICC will ensure the users are well informed and equipped to select the appropriate product for their medical devices reprocessing, while avoiding short to long-term hidden costs. The aim is to provide their customer with so much more than ‘clean’.
References 1. S Winter, G McDonagh, D Lappin, A.J. Smith, Assessing the efficacy and cost of detergents used in a primary care automated washer disinfector, PhD work, 2018.
2. Howell J. , Surgical Reprocessing Washer Disinfector Trials Comparing Non-enzymatic, Enzymatic, and Alkaline Detergents Using Industry Recognized Test Soils, 2022, OR Today
3. Pinglin He, Yulong Sun, Ying Zhang & Tao Li (2020) COVID-19’s Impact on Stock Prices Across Different Sectors: An Event Study Based on the Chinese Stock Market, Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 56:10, 2198-2212, DOI: 10.1080/1540496X.2020.1785865
STERIS Solutions Ltd Chancery House Rayns Way Leicester LE7 1PF UK
Tel: 0116 276 8636
Email:
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