With 2019 in the books, we’re looking forward to a new year of sterile processing developments and improvements. But before we jump into the new, we’d like to look back at the last year to remember what we’ve learned. Here are the five most popular blog posts we shared in 2019:
1. 5 Common Decontamination Mistakes
Unfortunately, mistakes are made frequently within sterile processing departments. One of our most popular posts for two years running, this piece dives into common decontamination mistakes made in SPDs, and offers simple solutions to avoid these mistakes. Are there any mistakes you would add to the list?
2. The Humanistic Perspective on Management
As technology brings sweeping changes to organizations, it can be easy to fall into the mindset that tech is the solution for everything. But what if human-to-human interactions and relationships are the real game-changers for organizations? What if success depends on having healthy human relationships within your department? This is the view of the humanistic perspective on management, the subject of this post by Derek Murray, our Director of Professional Services.
3. Instrument Tracking: Does It Really Work?
A Q&A with a sterile processing educator for Mount Carmel Health Systems, this post shares the difference that instrument tracking made at Mount Carmel West. Previously, Mount Carmel had used paper records for tracking instrumentation. Implementing electronic instrument tracking for the first time has improved both efficiency and accuracy in the Mount Carmel system.
4. Test Your Knowledge: Surgical Site Infection Quiz
So you think you know the SPD world from the inside out? Take this quiz and think again. Drawing from recent stats, the quiz tests your knowledge of common surgical site infection data. If you score well, consider it a pat on the back—hopefully, your SPD is as knowledgeable as you are. If you score low, it might be time for some further education (or more time spent reading our blog).
5. 5 Benefits of Automated Endoscope Reprocessing
Flexible endoscopes are some of the most complicated instruments to reprocess—and poor reprocessing of flexible endoscopes has dire consequences. To address this and close the gap in manual processing, many facilities have implemented automated endoscope reprocessing. This blog post shares the key benefits of automating endoscope reprocessing.
What would you like to see more blog posts about in 2020? What questions do you have about sterile processing, management, or industry standards? Share your ideas with us, and we’ll do what we can to cover them in the future.
Resources:
25+ Powerful FOMO Statistics to Skyrocket Sales (2020). January 3, 2020. https://optinmonster.com/fomo-statistics/
ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities. 2017
AST Guidelines for Best Practices for Laundering Scrub Attire. April 14, 2017. https://www.ast.org/uploadedFiles/Main_Site/Content/About_Us/Standard%20Laundering%20Scrub%20Attire.pdf
Laundry and textile hygiene in healthcare and beyond. July 1, 2019. http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/2019a-bockmuehl-microbial-cell/
Role of healthcare apparel and other healthcare textiles in the transmission of pathogens: a review of the literature. March 31, 2015. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132459/
Study of bacterial flora associated with mobile phones of healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers. June 9, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5719508/
[1] Seehttps://www.tso3.com/sterizone#resources
[2] See https://www.tso3.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MK-0066_01_New-Standard-of-Care-for-Duo-Reprocess-Terminal-Sterilization….pdfCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/
[3] See guidelines/disinfection/sterilization/other-methods.html#anchor_1554397475
[4] American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/outdoor/air-pollution/ozone.html#atrisk
[5] Evan Goulet, PhD, April 2015, Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry. See https://www.mddionline.com/why-manufacturers-should-consider-nitrogen-dioxide-sterilization
[6] PLoS One. 2015 Jun 22. See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4476675/
[7] New Jersey Department of Health. See https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1376.pdf
