ICCS Founder and infection control consultant Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, is a featured source in a new Outpatient Surgery Magazine article.
In the article, which identifies some of the latest infection control products and practices, Segal discusses nasal decolonization and rapid sterilization.
Access the article on infection control innovations.
Do you know that use of enzymatic detergents to clean instruments and devices in preparation for high-level disinfection and/or sterilization may require testing the temperature of water prior to use? The requirement to perform this important step is often missed if the instructions for use (IFUs) are printed on a brochure attached to the lid of the detergent bottle and are discarded by the user without reading. Several products include the instructions printed directly on the plastic bottle.
If a temperature range is noted, using a liquid thermometer is best. and ensure that you document the temperature with each premix. If there is no mention of optimum temperature, omit this step. Some products will note the following: “works in all temperatures” (see image below).
This tip is further support for always reading and following IFUs.
2019 will bring noteworthy changes to Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) standards. In a The Periop Life blog, AORN shares a few of the more significant guidelines changes that can be found in the 2019 edition of its Guidelines for Perioperative Practice and provides tips to help meet these new standards.
The changes highlighted in the blog are as follows:
Cover the sterile field
Identify how traffic is limited in your operating room
Assess your air handling system
The blog also notes that look and organization of the guidelines has undergone significant changes. Access the blog here.
Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS) anticipates additional changes and will share them if they are announced. Follow ICCS on LinkedIn so you don't miss new information and analysis.