IP IN THE OR: WHAT THE INFECTION PREVENTIONIST NEEDS TO KNOW
Heather Hohenberger, MSN, RN, CIC, CNOR, CPHQ, FAPIC Disclosure / Conflicts of Interest
The presenter has no conflicts of interest to disclose. Objectives
Upon completion of this session participants will be able to Identify resources for guidance on best practices in the OR and sterile processing Verbalize the various modalities for instrument sterilization Gain baseline knowledge of processes in the OR and sterile processing How would you describe the relationship between sterile processing, perioperative services, and infection prevention at your facility?
Which would you rather see? How do we create great relationships?
What do we have in common? What makes us different? What are the expectations? How can we work together? What can we learn from each other? Do we have similar goals? Heather’s top 3 rules for working with perioperative services
Wear scrubs Do NOT wear a bunny suit
Sterile processing is the backbone of the OR The quickest way to shut down an OR is to stop providing sterile instruments
Understand the concerns of staff and leadership What keeps staff up at night? What concerns does management have? The two biggest questions – aseptic technique & sterile processing Principles of aseptic practice – surgical attire
Personnel working in the restricted area (operating room) must wear clean, hospital laundered surgical attire
Covering and containing hair on the head and face is required
Surgical masks should be donned when opening the sterile field and continue to be worn until the sterile field is broken down and removed from the surgical suite Principles of aseptic practice – hand hygiene
Hand hygiene should be performed immediately prior to opening the sterile field
Hand antisepsis products used in the operative area should be approved by infection prevention and noted within facility policy
Hands and forearms must be dry before placing them into the sterile gown and gloves
Hand antisepsis should be performed by all sterile members of the surgical team: i.e. surgeon, assistant, and scrub personnel Principles of aseptic practice – gowning and gloving
Personnel should only touch the inside of the sterile gown when donning. A non-sterile member of the team will assist with securing the neck and back of the gown.
Gloves are touched after the sterile gown is on the sterile team member
Double gloving is the preferred method of glove use
Once donned, sterile gowns remain sterile in the front from chest level to waist, excluding the collar, armpit area, and gown cuffs Principles of aseptic practice – sterility of instruments / disposables
The integrity of the sterile packaging must be checked for each item
When using event related sterility parameters, look for evidence of past exposure to moisture, dirt, or dust on packaging
Wrapped sets must be checked for holes in the wrap before placing on the sterile field
Instruments must have chemical indicators meeting sterilization parameters before delivery to the sterile field Principles of aseptic practice – the sterile field
The sterile field should never be left unattended
Tables are sterile at the top, flat level of the table only, not below
Adjusting the drape once placed on the table is not recommended
All members of the perioperative team are responsible for monitoring the sterile field Principles of aseptic practice – draping the patient
Draping of the patient creates another sterile field
The drape should not be used if it comes in contact with any non-sterile surface
Staff should not lean over an unsterile area or unsterile equipment while placing the drape
Any item or cord falling below this level is considered contaminated Principles of aseptic practice – tissue on instruments
Any tissue (bone, hair, etc.) or debris found on reprocessed instruments should be considered contaminated and immediately removed from the sterile field
Removing the tissue from the items on the sterile field is not recommended as this compromises sterility Principles of aseptic practice – maintaining the sterile field
Movement around the sterile field should be kept to a minimum to avoid contaminating the sterile field
Any member of the perioperative team who is non- sterile and within the periphery should face the sterile field
AORN recommends non-sterile individuals maintain a 12 inch gap between themselves and the sterile field or scrubbed team members Principles of aseptic practice – medication delivery
Medication delivery to the sterile field should be done in a manner to maintain both the sterility of the medication and the sterile field
Ordered medications should be prepared and transferred to the sterile field as close as feasible to the time of use Transfer devices Sterile Processing Resources
Instrument reprocessing flow
Decontamination begins at the point of use
Decontamination
Assembly
Sterilization
Storage and handling
Decontam processes
All soiled items should flow from dirty to clean
3 bay sink is ideal Wash sink with water and detergent Intermediate rinse sink with plain or softened water Final rinse sink with distilled, deionized, or reverse osmosis water Not all water is the same
Deionized water (DI) Water that has had all minerals removed through and ion exchange process Distilled water Water that is heated to steam, then allowed to cool and condense; removes impurities and some bacteria Reverse osmosis (RO) Water purification process where a solvent (water) is removed of impurities after being forced through a semipermeable membrane Manual cleaning
Open hinged instruments Disassemble multiple part instruments Clean all surfaces Brush under water surface to avoid splashing and aerosolization Use correct sized brush for lumened instruments Look for fat tissue, bone, and blood Some items cannot be immersed Power equipment, cameras Manual cleaning tools
Brushes Disposable or reprocessable If using reprocessed brushes, decontaminate daily
Sponges
Syringes
Instrument air Compressed air with pollutants removed Used to dry medical devices after cleaning and decontamination Solutions that damage surgical instruments
Betadine
Peroxide
Soaking in water
Soaking in saline
Dish soap
Iodine
Bleach Mechanical cleaners
Ultrasonic cleaner Uses low pressure bubbles in a cleaning solution burst inward and dislodge soil from instruments Instruments must be precleaned Special trays used Lumens must be filled with fluid Complete submersion Rinse is required after use Irrigating sonic Used for long, lumened instruments Mechanical cleaners
Washer-Disinfector a.k.a “the wall washer” Uses impingement – spray force action of pressurized water against instruments to physically remove bioburden Not used for batteries, electrical equipment, or pneumatic devices
3 steps Prerinse with cool water or enzymatic Detergent cycle Rinse Basic classification of instruments
Graspers - forcepts
Clamps & occluders for blood vessels and other organs
Retractors
Distractors, positioners, & stereotactic devices
Mechanical cutters - scalpels, lancets, drill bits, rasps, trocars, Ligasure, Harmonic scalpel, surgical scissors, rongeurs
Dilators & specula
Suction tips Basic classification of instruments
Sealing devices - surgical staplers Irrigation and injection needles Powered devices - drills Scopes and probes Carriers and appliers for optical, electronic, & mechanical devices Ultrasound tissue disruptors, cryotomes, & cutting laser guides Measurement devices - rulers & calipers Testing instruments
Visual inspection
Sharpness Colored test materials Index cards Plastic dowel rods
Integrity / Function Hinges Tips Chemical indicators (CI)
Devices used to monitor for the presence or attainment of one or more of the parameters required for satisfactory sterilization process
Placed inside the instrument pack in the area considered least accessible to the sterilant Multiple layers have multiple CIs
Class 5 integrating indicators are designed to react to all critical parameters over a range of cycles Biological indicators
Sterilizer monitor used to determine if conditions have been met to kill live bacteria
Requires incubation
A test ampule is required at least daily
Positive BI can be caused by sterilizer malfunction, user error, or utility malfunction
BI should be run with each set with implantable devices Packing materials
Single use Peel packs Flat wrap – “blue wraps”
Multi use Rigid containers / pans Package closure
Tamper evident seals should be used External indicator tape Heat sealer – peel packs Rigid container locks Preparing to sterilize
Peel packs should be standing on edge in loading rack or placed in specialized baskets
Peel pouches should not be placed inside wrapped trays or rigid containers Types of terminal sterilization
High temperature sterilization Steam Gravity air displacement Dynamic air removal Prevacuum Steam-flush pressure-pulse Immediate use Low temperature sterilization Ethylene oxide Hydrogen peroxide Ozone
Unloading the steam sterilizer
Packs need time to cool after sterilization 30 minutes – 2 hours
Temperature and humidity in the sterilization space can impact sterility Wet packs Wet items are considered contaminated Ethylene oxide
Highly effective means for alternative to steam sterilization on equipment that cannot withstand high temperatures
Toxic gas
Requires exposure monitoring (badges)
Absorbable by many materials – requires aeration
Hydrogen peroxide gas plasma
Multiple types / sizes
Less toxic than EtO, but vapor can be irritating Must wear gloves when unloading
Exposure monitoring for the area around the sterilizer Vaporized hydrogen peroxide
Similar to hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, but no monitoring requirements Ozone
Newest type of low temperature sterilization
Requires well vented room The most difficult to navigate…
Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation AAMI documents
ANSI/AAMI ST79:2010/(R)2014 Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities ANSI/AAMI ST91:2015 Flexible and semi-rigid endoscope processing in health care facilities AAMI TIR63:2014 Management of loaned critical and semi-critical medical devices that require sterilization or high level disinfection AAMI documents
AAMI TIR34:2014 Water for the reprocessing of medical devices
ANSI/AAMI ST65:2008/(R)2013 Processing of reusable surgical textiles for use in health care facilities
ANSI/AAMI ST58:2013 Chemical sterilization and high-level disinfection in health care facilities AAMI documents
ANSI/AAMI ST41:2008/(R)2012 Ethylene oxide sterilization in health care facilities: Safety and effectiveness AAMI TIR30:2011 A compendium of processes, materials, test methods, and acceptance criteria for cleaning reusable medical devices ANSI/AAMI ISO 11607-1:2006/A1:2014 Packaging for terminally sterilized medical devices - Part 1: Requirements for materials, sterile barrier systems, and packaging AAMI documents
ANSI/AAMI ISO11140-1:2014 Sterilization of health care products - Chemical indicators - Part 1: General requirements
ANSI/AAMI ISO14161:2009/(R)2014 Sterilization of health care products - Biological indicators - Guidance for the selection, use, and interpretation of results
ANSI/AAMI ST77:2013 Containment devices for reusable medical device sterilization Association of Surgical Technologists (AST)
Guidelines & position statements for CSTs AST Guidelines for the Decontamination of Surgical Instruments AST Guidelines for Packaging Material and Preparing Items for Sterilization Position Statement on the Backtable and Mayo Stand Remaining Sterile Until Patient is Transported from Operating Room Position Statement on CST Working in Central Sterile Supply AORN Guidelines AORN Guidelines linked with sterile processing
High-Level Disinfection
Flexible Endoscopes
Instrument Cleaning
Packaging Systems
Sterilization Environmental Cleaning
Hand Hygiene
Surgical Attire
Safe Environment of Care, part 1
Safe Environment of Care, part 2
Sharps Safety
Transmissible Infections
Information Management
Questions? Contact information
Heather Hohenberger, MSN, RN, CIC, CNOR, CPHQ, FAPIC Director of Surgical Services IU Health Arnett Hospital (765) 838-5869 [email protected]