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the Tray Belts knowing the tray is pro- tected from rips, holes and tears.” Ortiz says the response from the OR staff and surgeons has been extremely positive. It has enabled both the CS/SPD and OR teams to be more efficient. When HSS first began using the Tray Belts on select trays, they found surgeons questioning trays that did not have the belts. This prompted the hospital to expand belt use on all trays processed through the CS/SPD. “If the surgeons are noticing it, then it
is a win,” said Ortiz. “It is definitely a win for operations. The Tray Belts pay for themselves.” When asked for advice by other CS/ SPD teams when implementing the Tray Belts, Ortiz says communication and col- laboration between the CS/SPD and OR teams is important to compliance. The Tray Belts are a “visual cue” to the staff. They provide a reminder that the trays need to be handled carefully to prevent rips/tears/holes.
Container considerations As Aesculap CSD Lead Consultant Juan Ramos, BSBA, CRCST, CIS, CHL, LGBC, points out, rigid containers serve as an alternative to sterilization wrap when it comes to protecting the integrity of steril- ized instrument sets. “Sterilization containers allow for the proper organization, packing and appro- priate sterilizing agent penetration while maintaining the integrity of the package from sterilization until use in the OR,” said Ramos. “Additionally, containers facilitate standardization, reduce waste and help decrease surgery setup times.” The Aesculap SterilContainer System features an extensive range of container sizes and heights to meet all of a CS/ SPD instrument sets requirements. Its lightweight aluminum construction is 15% to 20% lighter than leading com- petitors, helping departments meet the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) 25lbs weight recommendation. The 90° Stop handle protects staff from finger injuries during handling, and the single motion latch design secures the container quickly
Sealed Sterilization Container
to reduce time and hassle in CS/SPD and OR.
“Sterilization containers are one of the best tools available to the nursing team to prevent nosocomial infections,” Ramos added. “Adherence to the manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFU) is paramount for sterilization containers’ effectiveness.”
Beyond instruments While huge instrument tray sets are the most visible challenge to space constraints, it is important to consider all of the other supplies required in the OR and other procedural areas.
One example is surgical skin markers. Preventing mistakes in surgery is one of The oint Commission’s 2021 Hospital National Patient Safety Goals. The agency recommends marking the correct place on the patient’s body where the surgery is to be done to make sure that the correct surgery is done on the correct patient and at the correct place on the patient’s body.1 Nina Morales, Marketing Associate for Viscot Medical, says the company packages several of its non-sterile marker product lines in clear, plastic containers that are easy to store, identify and access. “The cylindric plastic containers are more compact and have less wasted space internally than boxes,” said Morales. “The containers have a smaller footprint than most boxes, so they take up less space on a shelf or table and can be easily stacked. They’re clear, making the stock easily visible. There’s less concern for ordering too soon or too much when you can see exactly how much you have left.”
How UPMC Shadyside Hospital maximized storage space, and workflow efficiency
Aesculap SterilContainer System
UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh offers a wide range of surgical procedures, including robotics, as treatments for many diseases and conditions. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the hos- pital among the nation’s best hospitals in many specialties. Storing instruments and supplies for a broad range of surgical specialties and accessing what the OR team needs was a significant challenge for the hospital’s CS/SPD team.
20 October 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
hpnonline.com
“It was difficult to put trays in the stor-
age area, which impacted our workflow greatly,” said Tiffany McCarthy, CST, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CR, Supervisor Central Sterile Processing, UPMC Shadyside Hospital. “Use of an instru- ment tracking system to scan trays to the shelf was difficult. There were challenges in keeping the tray inventory organized by service and being able to add new inven- tory. The quality of the instrument wrap was constantly compromised by the wire rack of the shelving.”
Because of space constrains in the CS/ SPD, the team had no choice but to store trays in the OR. They also lacked adequate space to store case carts, which com- promised case cart picking. According to McCarthy, her team spent one hour each day clearing aisles of carts, supplies and other items before case cart picking could begin.
McCarthy and the CS/SPD department
director, Michael Loadman, looked at several different storage system options and met with different vendors. The chal- lenge was finding a solution that would fit within the department’s storage footprint. As McCarthy explains, there were not many options that would accommodate their physical space. Ceiling height and columns in the room made the different configurations unusable.
“DSI agreed to conduct small trial space Viscot surgical skin markers
to see the impact of its storage units,” said McCarthy. “We were pleasantly surprised on how spacious the shelving unit was and how we gained usable space. Since the shelves are adjustable there is no lon- ger dead space in between shelves. The area looks clean and organized. We were able to label each tray shelf individually. There was no longer stacking of trays which made us regulatory compliant. And DSI’s solid shelves prevented holes in tray wrap.”
Parallel to the DSI trial, the CS/SPD
and OR teams collaborated on an analysis of instrument usage. They were able to reduce inventory of seldom-used trays by 11%, allowing for more available storage space. They reallocated the extra space to case cart storage and expanded aisle space, to allow greater efficiency in case cart picking. When asked what advice she has for CS/ SPD teams that are evaluating shelving options, McCarthy recommends starting with a test area. “If unsure about if this is the right shelving unit for you, trial a spot in the department and see if it works,” she said. “And if you like it, do it section by section. Therefore, you don’t disrupt your SPD
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