INFECTION PREVENTION
Limit your options With all the disinfectant products on the market today, Lind suggests standard- izing as much as possible to help drive safe and effective use and minimize the risk for errors:
“If there are disinfectant options and an approved disinfectant is already in use in the SPD, keeping the number of chemi- cals to choose from to a minimum reduces the chance for confusion and user error. Again, selecting the effective disinfectant that poses the lowest risk of exposure or injury to the staff should always be a consideration.”
How COVID raised questions, and the bar on staff education “Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, there were questions about which disinfectants would kill the virus. Once there was guid- ance on that, we moved to a business-as- usual mode. SP has always dealt with killing microorganisms; therefore, SP professionals already knew what to do to protect themselves and provide safe devices for patient use,” added Lind. Berg was quick to highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the result- ing boom in the application of countless disinfectants.
“Working in a frontline hospital before and during the pandemic I saw that the use of disinfectants was really highlighted. It was interesting having conversations with my clinical counterparts, as well as our hospital leaders, purchasing department and infection prevention teams on how to best “kill” COVID-19 — and how to train technicians to use disinfectants and other products appropriately and safely. We did have some shortages of certain types of disinfectants, but overall, we still always had something to use. We did see that the long-term use of disinfectants on surfaces of certain devices (phones, com- puters, countertops) had a negative effect on the lifespan of that surface or device, depending on the type of disinfectant used and how often. Overall, I feel that many SP professionals ‘backed into’ education and sought more information and knowl- edge around terms such as concentration, dwell time, IFU, and compatibility. These words were known before the pandemic, but they really became everyday words as they related to disinfectants.” The most noticeable and troubling impact of COVID-19 was related, of course, to the hindrance and disruption of the supply chain. As the pandemic was an unknown entity with undetermined causes and
effects, it required time and effort to effec- tively determine the types of disinfectants that would kill the virus.
Many organizations stockpiled some of the wider known brands of disinfectants, thereby resulting in other organizations having to alternate from their preferred brands. Likewise, staff had to be trained on these new products to ensure that they worked effectively.
All things considered, the critical factor
in determining the efficacy of a disinfec- tant lies in the ‘dwell’ time needed for the chemical to stay wet and in contact with the surface, and long enough to eliminate the targeted microorganisms. Berg went on to stress that there contin-
ues to be an increased demand for under- standing of disinfectant use in our health facilities today.
“In my working in the hospital and also working on a national and global scale in the world of disinfection and steril- ization, I am seeing a positive trend to focus on the basics, which we know work but may not always give the attention needed. I see people in Sterile Processing really wanting to know more about what the right thing is to use and how to use it safely as opposed to the mentality of “spray and pray.” HPN
WE’VE GOT YOUR SOLUTION
Fast-acting, cost-effective
Tristel DUO is designed to provide fast-acting and cost-effective cleaning and disinfection for instruments and non-critical medical devices including ultrasound probes, holders, cables, keyboards, and ultrasound stations. With a maximum kill time of 2 minutes for bacteria and a minimum time of just 1 minute for tuberculosis and fungi, Tristel DUO really packs a punch. Tested and proven effective against HPV, Tristel DUO bridges the gap where low-level disinfection is insufficient and high-level disinfection is impractical and costly.1
ALCOHOL FREE • BLEACH FREE The Power is in the Process
• Patented dispensing system generates the active ingredient – chlorine dioxide (ClO2).
• Simply dispense, apply, and allow to dry. Use with any dry wipe.
imbalance and microorganism death.
• ClO2 destroys pathogens by separating electrons from microorganisms’ vital structures resulting in molecular
Tristel DUO is manufactured and marketed in the United States by Parker Laboratories, Inc. as licensed by Tristel.
1. Meyers C, Milici J, Robison R. The ability of two chlorine dioxide chemistries to inactivate human papillomavirus-contaminated endocavitary ultrasound probes and nasendoscopes. J Med Virol. 2020 Aug;92(8):1298-1302. doi: 10.1002/jmv.25666. Epub 2020 Feb 4. PMID: 31919857; PMCID: PMC7497195.
TM
DISINFECTANT
©2022 Parker Laboratories, Inc.
The sound choice in patient care is a trademark of Parker Laboratories, Inc. Tristel DUO is a trademark of Tristel PLC.
HPNonline • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • November 2022 21 AD-41-25 REV 0
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