A few members of the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) share their advice for dealing with some of the tougher issues encountered in the sterile processing department (SPD).
Instrument Sterility Assurance/Maintenance
By Lisa Huber, CRCST, ACE, FCS
How do we know if the packages of instruments that are opened on a sterile field are actually sterile? Technicians can be as certain as possible if all instruments have been cleaned and disinfected effectively, assembled and packaged properly and loaded and unloaded from a sterilizer cart carefully. Using biological, chemical and mechanical indicators to monitor the sterilization process, technicians can be assured that the items that are loaded on to case carts or put into sterile storage are safe for patient use.
However, how closely are technicians monitoring the events in the life of a sterile package? Event-related sterility maintenance does not mean that a package will remain sterile forever – no matter what. It means that the events that take place in the life of a package can work together to shorten its “sterile life.”
Each time a package is handled is, in and of itself, an event. How a package is stored is an event. A package that is stored in a closed cabinet has a much longer life expectancy that one stored in a drawer that is constantly opened and closed, or on open shelving. Humidity levels in the storage area must be monitored because humidity that is too high or too low is considered an “event.”
While most of us are not constrained by having to check for out-dates each month, a good practice is to periodically check storage areas for package integrity. This could prevent an incident that could have an adverse effect on a patient.
Lisa Huber, CRCST, ACE, FCS, BA, is sterile processing director at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Ill.
