Chapter 7- Decontamination: Point of use treatment and transport

Decontamination: Point of use treatment and transport

Gross soil:

Tissue, body fat, blood and other body substances

Biohazard Signage:

Notices posted in easily seen locations that alert people in the area about the presence of harmful bacteria, viruses or other dangerous biohazardous agents or organisms.

Biofilm:

A collection of microorganisms that attach to surfaces and each other and form a colony. The colony produces a protective gel that is very difficult to penetrate with detergents and disinfectants.

Sharps:

Cutting instruments, including

knives

scalpels

blades

needles

and scissors of all types. Other examples include

chisels and

osteotomes,

some curettes,

dissectors,

elevators,

ronguers,

cutting forceps,

punches,

saws,

trocars.

Turnover/Turnaround:

Term used to describe instruments or equipment that must receive priority processing in order to be made available for another procedure.

Mus-cul-o-skeletal Disorders:

Injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs.

[workbook] Instruments should be kept together with their sets in the user area because:

• It reduces the risk of multi-part components being misplaced

• the chance that instruments will be lost is decreased

• Reassembly of the set will not be delayed

[workbook] If soiled items are held in user units before being picked up for processing, they must be kept

in a designated holding area

[workbook] Which is not a reason for point of use treatment?

It reduces the SP workload.

[workbook] A goal of soiled transport is to

Minimize the risk of cross-contamination

[workbook] Before transporting soiled devices, SP technicians should be aware of

The ergonomic principles of lifting, pushing and pulling

[workbook] Off-site transport policies and procedures should define:

Separation of clean and dirty

[workbook] The best way to transport contaminated instruments is in a:

Dedicated soiled elevator

[workbook] During point of use treatment, instruments should not

be placed in a basin with saline to keep them moist

[Notes] When instruments are prepared for transport to the decontamination area, it is important to keep them

Moist

[Notes] Disposable sharp items should be removed at the point of use and placed in a

hard-sided container labeled biohazard

[workbook] Which is not a goal of point-of-use treatment?

Transporting items within two hours of the end of the procedure

[workbook] A goal of point of use treatment is:

Removal of gross soil

[workbook] The proper handling of instrumentation is the responsibility of:

Everyone who comes in contact with the instrumentation

[workbook] Decontamination of instruments and equipment starts:

At the point of use

[workbook] Items should be contained for transport to:

Minimize the spread of microorganisms

[Notes] Goals of point of use treatment and transport

• Removal of gross soil

• Prevention of damage

• Prevention of cross-contamination

• Timeliness

Reasons for point of use treatment

1. Helps prolong instrument life

2. Dry soil and debris, especially in instruments with lumens and hard to reach crevices, are much more difficult to remove than moist soil and debris

3. Soil and excess moisture promote the formation of biofilm colonies

4. When soil dries, instruments require more aggressive cleaning methods.

Point of use treatment guidelines

• All individuals performing point of use treatment should receive education and training

• Remove gross soil from instruments. Wear PPE when preparing instruments for transport

• Follow the manufacturer’s IFU for point of use treatment

• Separate reusable sharps from other instruments

• protect delicate instruments during transport by placing them in different containers or placing them on top of heavier instruments

• Separate reusable linen

• Remove disposable components, such as blades, disposable tubing and canisters

• Open hinged instruments, disassemble multi-part instruments, and place instruments in the appropriate instrument tray in an orderly manner.

• Keep instruments sets or multi-part items together

• Empty fluid from containers

• Third-party reprocessing items should be removed and properly contained

• Notify SPD about items needing repair

• Notify the SPD about items requiring turnover/turnaround