There's a lot to be learned from food science that can be applied to reprocessing medical devices. For example, you should never put meat into a cold pan before cooking, because the meat and even the oil will then stick and burn. Rather pre-heat your cookware before putting anything in it. The same principle of pre-heating holds true for sterilization, if you want to ensure a good outcome...

Thank You! Case Medical would like to take a moment to thank every Sterile Processing professional for the heart and soul you put into your work each day. With your tireless dedication, patients can count on you to keep them safe during a medical procedure with clean, properly processed sterile instruments. With your unwavering adherence to industry...

Traditionally, women were trained to be teachers, nurses, members of the helping profession, supporting their male leaders. Then things changed during WWII when Rosie the Riveter was called by our country in crisis to contribute to manufacturing necessary equipment when our male population went to war...

Ever wonder why there is so much stuff in your department? I just went through my closets and got rid of the plastic bags hiding the clothes I haven’t worn in years and shoes that have collected over decades. First, I don’t wear heels anymore and knowing my age it would be downright dangerous. There are many reasons why we should simplify and make do with less at home and in the SPD. Sometimes it’s clear, like supply chain shortages and sometimes it’s because we’re questioning our toll on the environment or when we see our inventory shelves with simply too much stuff. How much of the stuff has never been used or is expired? But there are gray areas, too, holding onto stuff you think you might need or being convinced to buy something you don’t need. It’s easy to convince ourselves that “wants” are needs when we just really, really “want” something!

Gels can preserve tissue and bioburden under a tough to remove clear coating. Jurassic Park, the book and movie was based on the notion that mosquitos were so well persevered in amber that dinosaur DNA could be recovered after millions of years. Well, pre-cleaning gels work much the same way, after a short time a sticky skin forms on the gel, trapping the debris beneath and becoming virtually impervious to cleaning. Enter the pre-cleaning gel, easy to use, and convenient, made to prevent soil from drying onto used instruments; is it wet or just an illusion?

Sponges may not be the best way to pre-treat endoscopes at patient’s bedside. There are 54 billion bacterial cells on a single cubic centimeter of the average kitchen sponge. They are breeding grounds for all types of germs and bacteria. A common sponge’s spatial partitioning – the way it’s divided into different sectors of various sizes – caters to bacteria that prefer isolated environments and those that prefer to be around other organisms as well, making it the best of both worlds for microbial communities.

Toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) is an acute, noninfectious inflammation of the eye, it is a complication of cataract extraction surgery. One thing is clear there is no one cause of TASS. Did you know that there are so many possible causes of TASS that the CDC sums it up this way: “… most cases (of TASS) are attributed to 1) contaminants on surgical instruments, resulting from improper or insufficient cleaning; 2) products introduced into the eye during surgery, such as irrigating solutions or ophthalmic medications; or 3) other substances that enter the eye during or after surgery, such as topical ointments or talc from surgical gloves. So why are so many folks in charge of processing ophthalmic instruments reluctant to use enzymatic cleaners or any detergent at all?

Join us tomorrow for an inside look at what it takes to manage an SPD, we'll discuss critical aspects of the job including; the role of the manager, effective coaching, quality assurance and continuous improvement, are some of the topics. Case Medical presents this as a free online experience, part of our ongoing commitment to better outcomes for patients and staff. There will be two sessions offered at 11:00 am EDT, and again at 6:00 pm EDT.

Some are… Some aren’t. Single use wipes have become very popular for cleaning surfaces, wiping baby butts, for personal care, and throughout healthcare facilities for numerous purposes. Afterall, they are convenient, easy to use, single use, and come in a handy package.

Everyday seems to bring a new natural disaster or calamity, wildfires burning up New Mexico, western reservoirs drained to their lowest levels ever, extreme weather, flooding and landslides around the globe, can it get any worse? In a word, YES, yes it can if we don’t also stop poisoning ourselves with chemicals and products toxic to both humans and the environment.