Sterile Processing
The Infection Control Today® sterile processing page provides an inside look into the sterile processing (or central supply) department in the hospital where surgical instruments are cleaned, sterilized, and reprocessed in order to disinfect, remove bioburden, and prep for upcoming procedures. Sterile processing applies to not only the knives, scalpels, scissors, forceps, and clamps used in surgery, but also instruments such as endoscopes and duodenoscopes. ICT® reports on the latest technology but also on the means to disinfect that technology. Also, the trend toward making more disposable surgical equipment. What does that mean for the sterile processing team?
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May 29th 2025
As measles cases climb across the US, discredited myths continue to undercut public trust in vaccines. In an exclusive interview with Infection Control Today, Michigan Medicine’s Marschall Runge, PhD, confronts misinformation head-on and explores how clinicians can counter it with science, empathy, and community engagement.
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Emergency Eyewash Stations are Paramount to Safety in the SPD
July 26th 2016Q: I was at a conference recently and the speaker said that emergency eyewash stations are needed at all locations where chemicals are used. Can you provide more information on this?A: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has a standard, American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment, Z358.1-2014. This document “establishes minimum performance and use requirements for eyewash and shower equipment” for anyone whose eyes or body have been exposed to hazardous materials or chemicals. This standard is also an excellent reference for “performance and use requirements for personal wash units and drench hoses, which are considered supplemental to emergency eyewash and shower equipment.”
Sterile Processing, Infection Control and Zero Patient Harm: Collaboration Starts With Us
June 28th 2016For more than a millennia of medicine, the caregiver's oath has been, "Do no harm." Unfortunately for the sterile processing world, there are billions of microorganisms out there that are aiming at doing the exact opposite. The challenge is so great that most hospitals have entire departments dedicated to the mission of infection control, a practical sub-set of epidemiology concerned with preventing nosocomial (healthcare-associated) infections. Although there are countless areas of focus for these teams in a hospital setting, there are few more effective partners in winning the fight against infection than the sterile processing team.
The Dress Code for SPD Personnel and Scrub Laundering
June 28th 2016Q: My facility does not launder our scrubs, we must take them home. I have heard from other colleagues that their facilities provide and launder their scrubs. What is the recommended dress code for SPD in the clean/sterile areas and should our scrubs be laundered by the facility?A: I can understand your confusion. Unfortunately, not all facilities comply with the standards and therefore do not provide laundered scrubs to sterile processing staff. I do not really understand the non-compliance by facilities when one considers that SPD personnel are preparing sterile product for use on patients. Therefore very effort should be made to keep bioburden levels to a minimum.
