STERILE PROCESSING - 2022 RESOURCE GUIDE Photo courtesy: NorthShore University HealthSystem


STERILE PROCESSING - 2022 RESOURCE GUIDE Keeping sterile processing


I


procedures primed and pumped It’s not just important, it’s critical for high-quality patient care by Erin Brady


mproving processes consistently remains a goal in professional environments, and in the healthcare sterile processing arena it can mean the difference between patients making a complete recovery or contracting infections – even life or death. What are we doing and how can we do it better for the benefi t of the patient and the organia- tion at large? There are numerous devices, products, services, and technologies that enable Central Service/Sterile Processing & Distribution (CS/SPD) departments to clean, disinfect, sterilie and prep devices and instruments for the surgical team. Healthcare Purchasing News spoke with four industry professionals who gave their insights on what they think are the most important topics, challenges, and upgrades in sterile processing right now.


Avoid recontamination, use sterile water!


Water is all around us. It is essential to the survival of all living beings. t is also impor- tant in steriliation. Without sterile water, medical instruments are at risk of recon- tamination due to water-borne pathogens. Many of the steps in reprocessing include water. “In practice, medical devices are immersed, rinsed, or sprayed with water or solutions with surfactants to prevent the dirt from drying out,”according to a HPN continuing education article.1


Both the


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  and he Joint ommission recom- mend that facilities have a water risk management program in place. Patients are exposed to water directly, by ingestion, by inhalation of aerosols dispersed from


water sources, by aspiration and by indi- rect contact from improperly reprocessed medical devices.2


There is a spike in demand right now for reliable, comprehensive water quality sys- tems, according to Jeffrey Paquet, CEO, mmic Medical Systems. “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Joint Commission and VA Directives are identifying water quality as a critical component in the success of sterile pro-


Jeffrey Paquet


cessing. CMS is taking actions to compel hospitals to drive down hospital-acquired infections and is linking managing water and water quality to actions facilities must take to improve their hospital-acquired infection (HAI) metrics,” he said. The CDC has a Water Infection Control Risk Assessment (WICRA) for Healthcare ettings tool and recommends the follow- ing steps for evaluating the water in health facilities: 1. Identify the areas that need to be assessed. 2. Determine the likely water sources in the facility.


3. reak down the likely modes of transmis- sion for water-associated pathogens.


4. Classify the patient’s vulnerability for each water source.


5. Distinguish patient exposure. 6. Evaluate current levels of preparedness in your Water Management Program.


7. alculate the total risk score by multiply- ing the numbers in each column.


8. Rank the total risk scores by location and across the facility.


32 May 2022 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


“Performing a WICRA using this tool will generate numerical scores of perceived risk, which can assist in prioritiing W activities such as monitoring and mitiga- tion efforts. Total risk scores are intended for internal prioritiation and do not hold significance outside the context of each site-specifi c W. ypically, the risks with highest scores will be used for priority focus, though some with lower scores may be given special consideration (e.g., mitigation can be quickly and easily implemented). pecifi c risk management actions should be determined in accordance with WMP activities,” according to the CDC.2 Water quality and how it affects equip-


ment performance, patient safety and surgical capacity is one of the biggest chal- lenges in Sterile Processing Departments right now, according to Paquet. “There is currently a substantial knowledge gap that requires educating facilities, engineers and SPD staff of the importance of and how to achieve the water quality standards needed to assure patient safety and compliance with AAMI TIR34 and ST79 guidelines. Comprehensive water quality systems and services that address all aspects of customer water quality issues are a solution that pro- vides the best strategy to success,” he said.


Just do it … right


The main priority of CS/SPD departments remains reducing risks and increasing safety for patients and staff. o achieve highest standards,  techni-


cians need common sense and a willingness to do the job right, according to Paquet, mmic. “Fostering an environment that


Page 38


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46