In a hospital setting, drug resistant strains of bacteria are a growing problem. Staphylococcus is an especially opportunistic pathogen. When immunity is lowered, it can cause all types of infections. Most antibiotics, even the latest and greatest, are not effective against “super bugs”. Some staph infections no longer respond, or become resistant, to common antibiotics.

Spring is here and with it a time of renewal. The time for spring cleaning is at hand, however, it’s become apparent that limiting exposure to various chemicals, toxins and pollutants is also important. We’ve learned much about the detrimental effects various chemicals have on our health. Many cleaning products marketed as “green,” “natural” or “eco-friendly” actually contain chemicals that are known carcinogens, endocrine-disruptors or lung and skin irritants. For instance, awareness around the negative reproductive and development effects of BPA (bisphenol A) in plastics and other unregulated chemicals like phthalates is growing, there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that our health is protected.

Did you know that in 2009 the U.S. Congress created the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which set aside $27 billion for an incentive program to encourage hospitals to adopt electronic health records systems (EHR). That’s right the Federal government is paying doctors and hospitals to setup and use electronic health records systems...

We’re talking about risk analysis, the process we go through before deciding on a given action. Whether its diet soda or donuts we'll do a casual risk analysis in our head. Example, someone is sharing a dozen donuts, do you want one? YES! Do you need the extra calories, fats, sugar, etc. NO! The heck with it, YOLO!...

The world is producing a record amount of single-use plastic waste, mostly made from polymers created from fossil fuels, despite global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and carbon emissions, according to a new report. While governments around the world have announced policies to reduce the volume of single-use plastic...

Ask any Sterile Processing technician about the most important first step in the decontamination process, they will always repeat this refrain “Cleaning is the most important first step, because if it’s not clean, it cannot be disinfected or sterilized.” SPD professionals have long recognized how difficult it is to clean used devices and instruments post procedure. Especially challenging are complex endoscopes, with small inner channels, valves, and ports. When left in the open-air bioburden and organic material harden...

A recent online article from CNN Health asks – “How many times can you wear pajamas, jeans, and other clothes without washing them? Experts weigh in…” Turns out that the number of times it’s appropriate to wear clothing items without washing them is based more on folklore or a person’s upbringing than professional advice. The short answer — for pajamas as well as other clothes — technically depends...

Did you know that freshwater makes up a very small fraction of all water on the Earth? Nearly 70 percent of the world is covered by water, but only 2.5 percent of it is fresh, and of that just 1 percent is easily accessible. U.S. hospitals use an average of 570 gallons of water per staffed bed, per day...

This article in Reader’s Digest “8 Secret Ingredients You Should Be Adding to Your Laundry” is an inspiration. Right from the first statement “Don't toss in a laundry pod and think you're done." When you take a moment to unpack the premise that any detergent will do, it makes a lot of sense not just for laundry at home, but for reprocessing contaminated devices in SPD, too. Life in the SPD is complicated, but your cleaning regimen doesn’t have to be, nor does your detergent need to be.

As the title for this week’s blog says, “Misinformation comes to us in many forms” and it’s not just through social media, though social media is the superhighway or Autobahn of misinformation with no speed limits. Take for example our blog from last week discussing “flushable” wipes. When the product label says...