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?
Latest News
October 6th 2025
As ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) expand into new specialties, sterile processing challenges can slow growth or halt operations entirely. Lifeline Surgical Partners—formerly Lifeline Vascular Care—found a scalable, cost-effective solution through offsite reprocessing, allowing their centers to maintain high-quality care while freeing clinical teams to focus on patients.
September 26th 2025
More News
Latest Outbreak Reminds Us of Reprocessing Imperatives, Prompts New and Pending Guidance
May 3rd 2015Following yet another highly publicized patient exposure to dangerous pathogens via contaminated endoscopes, the healthcare and sterile processing communities are examining their processes, re-evaluating their priorities, and digesting new guidelines issued by several federal agencies.
CS Certification: Why You Shouldn't Wait for Your State
May 3rd 2015Central Service (CS) professionals who continue to hold out on becoming certified until their state legislators or hospital executives require it are not doing themselves, their healthcare customers and, especially, their patients any favors. Also, as more states board the certification bandwagon and new technicians are required to become certified in order to hold a position in the CS department, more tenured, non-certified professionals – even those who were “grandfathered” in under state law* (meaning that the bill exempts them from having to become certified) – will likely feel the pressure and may lose out to their certified counterparts.
Certifiably Educated: One Department's Drive to Serve with Smarts
May 3rd 2015The field of sterile processing is awash with new technologies, ever-tightening accreditation requirements, and an overwhelming flood of cutting-edge surgical instrumentation. But are departmental certification standards and training programs keeping up with these growing trends?
