We are so pleased to be selected as a 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year for manufacurer / formulator. Our parternship with the EPA extends more than a decade promoting safer, and sustainable instrument chemistries...
More and more containers and devices are being processed in cart washers using standard cycles with recycled water (sometimes softened) and a new dose of chemical agent each time it’s run. We are told to wash off fruits and vegetables during food preparation or we can get sick from fungicides and other toxic pesticides...
Should, can, may, must… Healthcare is an industry that is highly regulated. And there are regulatory requirements that should be met for manufacturers and users, for the benefit of the patient. There are various products and processes available in sterile processing for the same intended purpose, whether it’s for decontamination, sterilization, or for surgical and patient care procedures. Where things get messy is when faced with conflicting messages...
Yesterday we updated our signature block to reflect the beginning of a new decade in the life of Case Medical. Given all the projects we are working on and the upgrades with new equipment on the manufacturing floor, I nearly forgot that this week is our 31st anniversary...
White residue on devices, sticky film on instruments, retained bioburden… Excessive use of chemicals can interfere with the processing of reusable devices. Some pre-treatment gels lock in soil, other cleaning agents are corrosive, and those used in cart washers may be simply too much, especially when drying or sheeting agents leave behind an organic film that can interfere with low temperature sterilization...
Each week we send a blog that has updated information about current issues and concerns relevant to healthcare professionals, specifically SPD, OR and Materials. Often our goal is to reinforce best practices, but today we would like you to reconsider a practice or “Sacred Cow” that can apply to other container systems, but not to our SteriTite containers...
During the past two decades, sterilization containers have replaced wrapped trays and even peel pouches. Containers come in a full range of sizes and configurations that meet the specifications of the devices to be sterilized. When compared to disposable wrap and peel pouches, containers save money, contribute to the bottom line, and provide the ultimate in instrument protection and sterility maintenance, but how long do they last...
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.
T’was the night before surgery... And all through the SPD every set was in blue wrap as far as the eye could see. The peel packs were sorted for surgery with care… In hopes that the surgeon soon would be there.