What should the sterilizer access area pressure be?
Negative w/10 air exchanges per hour
What two steps are involved in decontamination?
1. Manual and/or automated mechanical cleaning
2. application of a thermal or chemical disinfection process
Define Cleaning...
The removal of contamination from an item to the extent necessary for further
processing or for the intended use.
nosocomial infections are well documented and caused by...
poor or ineffective decontamination of instruments
What are Employee hazards in the decontamination process?
Technicians work with a large amount of 1) unidentified bioburden 2) wet enviornment
3) handling contaminated sharps 4) must know procedures for proper handling,
equipment, cleaning/sterilization agents
How do you properly clean a device?
follow the device manufacturer's written instructions
What is the starting point in sterilization?
Cleaning
Define decontamination
The process of cleaning surgical instruments, patient care devices, and all involved
surfaces in order to render areas and items safe for handling and/or further processing
What are physical safety hazards?
-good body mechanics -correct body techniques and posture for lifting, pushing, pulling,
and reaching -should be alert and correct anything that is a potential injury -lifts to lift
heavy supplies, available work material, adjustable chairs, padding on sharp edges,
correct height tables -proper clothing can prevent injury
What is the weakest point of an instrument?
Box lock and jaws
What does the ABC system stand for?
A: large dollar amount items not used frequently
B: moderately priced and used frequently
C: items w/ low dollar value
What is just in time distribution?
Items are distributed to department by vendor no need for sterile storage or inventory
control.
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What are specialty/ procedure carts?
Carts placed in specific departments based on procedures
personalized to needs of departments easily accessible.
What is case cart distribution?
visually in specialty areas case carts are delivered to department case cart is
specialized to departments needs
What is the exchange cart distribution?
, Two identical carts are made one is out in the department and other stays in SPD
What is par level distribution?
There is fixed inventory and when items become low they are replenished from the
stockroom per department/specialty
What is demand distribution?
An instrument/cart must be ordered in order to get it
What are the most common distribution systems?
1) demand 2)par-level 3)Exchange 4)case carts 5) Specialty 6) Just in time
What is the air pressure of the sterile storage area?
positive air flows out
What is shelf life
period of time which a sterile item is considered safe to use
event related not time related
When are packs most vulnerable to contamination?
Immediately after sterilization
What is it when a sterilizer's ability is tested under worst case conditions?
Small load testing
What is it called when a sterilizer is tested for sterilization under actual use conditions?
Max load testing
How often is a Bowie Dick test ran?
Daily for dynamic air removal sterilizers
How much space should be between packages and chamber wall?
one inch
How should paper-plastic pouches be placed in a sterilizer?
plastic to paper or paper to plastic
tilted on side
How should basins be placed in a sterilizer?
on tilted side same direction
What should be placed on the bottom of the rack in a mixed load?
metal instruments
basin
other metal items
What should be placed on the top shelf?
textile packs and paper/plastic pouches
Textile packs should be placed how in a sterilizer?
sides
Solid bottom trays should be loaded now?
tilted on sides
How should mesh bottom containers be loaded into the sterilizer?
flat on rack
If packages are still moist when the sterilizer doors are open bacteria can do what?
wick through the package
How does steam sterilization occur?
by condensation
What cases are proven to have prions?