Bridging the Education Gap: Improving Complex Instrument Reprocessing in Sterile Processing

At the 2025 HSPA conference, Cheron Rojo, BS, FCS, CHL, CIS, CER, CFER, CRCST, who is the senior manager of clinical education for Healthmark, a Getinge company, spoke with Infection Control Today^® (ICT^®) and shared key findings from a year-long study examining shaver handpiece reprocessing. His presentation underscored significant challenges in education, inspection, and instrumentation use, especially when sterile processing professionals are not adequately trained or equipped.

Rojo’s study, conducted from May 2023 to May 2024, explored common issues with shaver components, including residue buildup, improper cleaning tools, and overlooked inspection protocols. A major concern was the mismatch between the manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFUs) and real-world practices. For instance, while some IFUs specify multiple specialized brushes, Rojo found facilities using only 1 or 2—often unknowingly.

Tools like borescopes and protein detection systems were emphasized as essential for verifying internal cleanliness and differentiating between protein residue and mechanical damage. Yet, many staff members were never trained on how to use these devices or interpret results.

Rojo also referenced the US Food and Drug Administration’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, which collects reports on adverse events and near misses related to medical devices. His analysis identified multiple incidents linked to inadequate cleaning of complex instruments, highlighting the real-world consequences of knowledge gaps in the SPD.

“The MAUDE database for the FDA is a volunteer reporting system where you would report an adverse event to a patient or a near miss,” Rojo told ICT during the interview. “And this could be instrumentation, [or] this could be patient care equipment. It could be all kinds of things. I even saw electric toothbrushes in there.”

He urged medical device manufacturers to partner with sterile processing experts when developing IFUs. Realistic guidance must consider repeated instrument use, long-term durability, and accessibility for proper cleaning.

Finally, Rojo emphasized the value of peer-to-peer networking and education. Conferences like HSPA offer a space for professionals to share solutions, voice frustrations, and realize they are not alone in facing today’s reprocessing challenges. His message: Stronger collaboration leads to safer patients.