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Latest JCAHO Statement Leaves
Sterile Professionals Unsure
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Last week, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) issued an update on their position regarding
sterilization of surgical instruments. The first bullet point of that statement
deals with flash sterilization. Only a couple of years ago, JCAHO took a
strongly negative position on flash sterilization, setting as a goal to
severely limit its use. While the vast majority of healthcare professionals
supported JCAHO's position, many also struggled to comply fully with its implementation.
In its latest statement, JCAHO may be trying to soften their position, but they
appear to be taking a 180 degree turn and actually endorsing widespread
adoption of the practice:
"Flash sterilization is the most common term used to
describe certain types of steam sterilization that do not utilize a full (also
known as terminal) cycle. Originally, this term meant sterilizing unwrapped
instruments using steam for 3 minutes, at 270 F. at 27 to 28 lbs of pressure.
Over the last several decades, a number of improvements have been made to this
process, such as longer exposure of the instruments to steam, the use of
special trays and packs to hold and protect the instruments, and the routine
use of biological indicators."
While products have been
developed over the decades to improve the efficacy of flash sterilization,
AAMI, AORN and other standards writing bodies are clear: Flashing should be
limited to emergency use only and only for devices that are going to be immediately
used (AAMI ST79: Introduction Flash Sterilization, AORN Recommended Practices
2008, Recommendation IV). JCAHO's newest statement seems to go too far now in the other direction,
creating confusion for sterile professionals and the people they serve.
Ralph J. Basile
Vice President of Marketing
Healthmark Industries Company, Inc.
Read more about JCAHO's position on the issue...
Read Infection Control Today's article
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Surgical Fire Safety Update
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Best Practices for Prevention: A Live, Interactive Web Conference
Approximately 550 to
650 surgical fires occur each year in the United States; these fires have
devastating consequences for patients and hospitals. Fortunately,
with awareness of the hazards and emphasis on safe practices, virtually all
surgical fires can be prevented.
Register for the Web Conference!
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Tip of the Week
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Flash Sterilization
It is important to remember that Flash Sterilization should be used only in
emergency situations and that implants should never be flash sterilized.
Also you should use the items that were flashed
immediately. Items should be flashed and transported in such a manner that
sterility is maintained all the way to the surgical site (such as in our Flashguard containers). Remember always to
follow manufacturers' instructions. Flashing, if done properly (this includes
cleaning), is a safe practice but should only be done when there is no
alternative.
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| Thank You for Your Continued Interest! |
Thank you very much for reading this sixth edition of Healthmarket Digest. We are very excited to have you as a member of our online community. If you haven't already confirmed your email address and would like to receive updates in the future please click here.
Sincerely,
Alex Kirk
Healthmark Industries Company, Inc.
Questions or comments?
or call (586) 774-7600
toll free: 800-521-6224
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