Infection Control Today Magazine

Bioburden

Bioburden is the quantitative estimation of the number of viable microorganisms on a surgical instrument or medical device before decontamination and sterilization.

IMS' Vikon Quick Release Rongeur Simplifies Removal of Bioburden

Removing bioburden from the inner channels of a rongeur just got easier with the introduction of the Vikon® Quick Release Rongeur, a product of Birmingham, Ala.-based IMS. "We saw that bioburden accumulation in rongeur channels was part of the problem, so we designed one ...More
October 10, 2011
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization
Industry Addresses Challenges of Bioburden, Offers Best-Practice Advice

ICT turned to members of industry to cultivate suggestions for how to address bioburden and implement best practices for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of surgical instruments and devices. What should sterile processing professionals understand about the role ...More
May 17, 2011
Posted in Articles, Disinfection & Sterilization
AORN Recommending Facility Laundering of Surgical Attire

In a session held at the 57th annual AORN Congress today, Melanie Braswell, a member of AORN's recommended practices review committee, introduced the 10 recommendations AORN is making regarding surgical attire, updated from the previous seven recommendations. ...More
March 15, 2010
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization, PPE & Standard Precautions
Study Shows Bacterial Contamination Associated With Home-Laundered Surgical Scrubs is Significantly Greater Than Other Options

A study comparing the aerobic bacterial bioburden associated with surgical scrub attire shows significantly greater contamination among home-laundered attire than scrubs laundered by the healthcare facility, scrubs sent out by the facility to a third-party company for ...More
January 8, 2010
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization, PPE & Standard Precautions
Sharklet Technologies Awarded Innovation Research Grant for Development of Urinary Catheter with Biofilm-Resistant Micro-Pattern

Sharklet Technologies, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded a $168,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to develop a urinary catheter with ...More
November 16, 2009
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization
Vascular Devices and Biofilm: Webinar Opportunity

The free, live Webinar, “Why are Vascular Devices Prone to Biofilm Contamination?” will be presented on http://www.TargetBSI.com and will address the emerging issue of biofilms. Experts in the field will discuss the obstacles to preventing, managing and ...More
June 23, 2009
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization
Environmental Cleaning Issues: Advice from Industry Experts

Environmental Surface Disinfection in the Healthcare EnvironmentBy J. Hudson Garrett Jr., PhD, MSN, MPH, APRN, CIC One of the most critical interventions that can be routinely performed to decrease the risk for cross transmission and development of healthcare-associated ...More
June 22, 2009
Posted in Articles, Disinfection & Sterilization, Environmental Hygiene
Cool Plasma Packs Heat Against Biofilms

Though it looks like a tiny purple blowtorch, a pencil-sized plume of plasma on the tip of a small probe remains at room temperature as it swiftly dismantles tough bacterial colonies deep inside a human tooth. But it's not another futuristic product of George Lucas' ...More
June 10, 2009
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization
Gram-Positive Bacteria are Bad Breath’s Culprit

A quick breath check in the palm of your hand can never give accurate results. Whether you're about to lean in for a smooch or start a job interview, you're better off asking a trusted friend if your breath is sweet. But what if a friend isn't around when you need ...More
May 18, 2009
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization
High Impingement Washing: A Vital Part of the Instrument Management Process

Most, if not all, of the washers utilized in today’s hospitals rely on high-impingement washing action to complete bioburden reduction levels that allow safe handling of instruments prior to sterilization. However, high impingement was not exclusively developed for ...More
April 29, 2009
Posted in Articles, Disinfection & Sterilization