Sterile Processing

Modern medicine has advanced to the point that it seems almost unconscionable that certain preventable or treatable causes of illness and death still pose an enormous threat. Thomas Frieden, MD, director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has named six public health problems that he feels can be reduced. Healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) is one of the priorities identified by the CDC, along with smoking, AIDS, obesity/nutrition, teen pregnancy and auto injuries. There is no magic bullet that will stop hospital infections dead in their tracks, but it is a "winnable battle" as Frieden put it.

Although it is one of the most potent antimicrobials available, silver, in particular ionic silver, is safe. A naturally occurring element, silver has long been used as an antimicrobial; as early as 79 AD in Egypt it was used in long-term water storage, and in the 900s, Chinese emperors would only use silver eating utensils "to prevent poisoning."

The healthcare industry is rife with opportunities to reduce the environmental impact it creates, with the added benefits of institutional financial gain, improved patient outcomes, better staff health and reduced turnover, and community benefit, according to a report from Practice Greenhealth and from the Institute for Innovation in Large Organizations.

Spurred by the recently published methods for substituting the use of chlorine dioxide gas as a replacement for those using formaldehyde gas, an increasing number of individuals are moving in that direction. The question now arises as to how long the exposure time needs to be at various ClO2 concentrations to accomplish an equally effective decontamination.

For several years now, healthcare facilities have faced intense pressure to minimize catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). In recent months, the pressure has grown.

Improve Practice and Decrease CRBSIs: Three Hospitals Experience With a New Technology