Sterile Processing Department

Professionals who work for central sterile (CS) departments and sterile processing departments (SPDs) work in the areas of controlling and monitoring medical devices, infection control, and the administration of safety practices that benefit healthcare workers and the public at large. They provide the cleaning, decontamination, sterilization, and inspection of surgical instruments, devices, and implants. According to the American Society for Healthcare Central Service Professionals (ASHCSP), CS/SPD professionals "influence hospital purchases and healthcare practices by holding responsibility for ensuring that patient equipment is available and sterile for use at all times -- during routine examinations, as well as in complex surgeries and procedures. Central service professionals manage or aid in determining that equipment and supplies are selected in a cost-effective manner, while holding responsibility for deciding that these materials can be thoroughly sterilized before coming into contact with patients. It then packages them carefully, labels them correctly, makes them available for scheduled and emergency use, all the while ensuring that each item's sterile integrity is preserved to the moment it comes in contact with the patient. Central service professionals' commitment to safety helps make certain that patients and healthcare workers, as well as their families, are safe from infections that occur and are spread following contact with contaminated instruments."

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Becki Jenkins	Hardware: Return to Sender? Question: I work for a multi-disciplinary ambulatory surgery center in northern Minnesota and I was wondering about hardware removals. To date, we handwash the hardware (pins, screws etc.) peel-pack, and steam sterilize for 4 minutes. Personally, I have never been a fan of returning surgical hardware to the patient. I ...(More)

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