CS CONNECTION


Bioburden – more than meets the eye


Inspecting surgical instruments visually must evolve


by Kara Nadeau


Photo credit: Roger | stock.adobe.com


hile the quality of Central Service/Sterile Processing and Distribution (CS/SPD) operations is highly depen- dent upon those individuals performing the processes, in most cases equipment and tools are a critical part of the equa- tion. This is particularly true in the visual inspection of surgical instruments as microscopic bioburden andor biofi lm is invisible to the naked eye. Furthermore, as instruments become more complex to facilitate minimally invasive procedures, internal components such as lumens mae them more diffi cult to clean and impossible to thoroughly inspect without magnifi cation and other visual aids. “Year after year, the job has become increasingly challenging as new devices and technological advancements increase both the sheer numbers and the complexity of these devices,” said Lee Ann Purtell, Owner, Capital Medical Resources. “Minimally invasive techniques drive the demand for smaller and smaller instruments that, by nature, are more complex and require special knowledge and processes to clean, inspect and sterilize. Having tools to aid in visual inspection and functional testing help keep damaged and dirty instruments out of use, thus reducing incidences of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).”


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Times have changed As instruments have changed so have the standard teaching points on visual inspections, as well as the equipment available


to perform them, says Sharon Greene-Golden, BA, CRCST, CER, SME, FCS and oneSOURCE consultant. She stated: “Standard teaching points given over the years focused on six review points used for visual inspection of instruments: Scissors, needle holders, suction devices, retractors, hemostatic forceps, and tissue and dressing forceps. Times have changed and how we meet the review points have changed in our visualization process because of the delicate, hard to check and minimally invasive instruments used in surgeries done in hospitals today.” “Today, we have different equipment designed to aid a tech- nician in the visualization of all instruments, Greene-Golden added. “These technologies include insulation testers, lighted magnifying glasses, borescopes for checking lumens, and the testing developed to aid in verifying cleaning quality standards are being met. The verifying methods in place in the sterile processing department are needed because microorganisms are not seen, so we have a protein test and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence, which test for residual soils.” “Visual inspection has come a long way in the past few years,” said Jonathan A. Wilder, Ph.D., Managing Director, Quality Processing Resource Group. “Gone are the days when fi nding the nearsighted person in SD was how you improved visual checks for residual soil and debris. When I do audits with my associates, there are a few things that are high on the list of things we advise clients to use to properly do a visual inspec-


Page 38 36 February 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


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