Chapter 20- The role of sterile processing in ancillary department support

Patient care equipment

Portable equipment used to assist in the care and treatment of patients. Examples include suction units, temperature management units, infusion therapy devices, etc.

Preventive Maintenance (PM)

Services provided to equipment to maintain its proper operating condition by providing planned inspection and detecting and correcting failures before they occur

Repair (equipment)

Procedures used to return equipment to its proper operating condition after it has become inoperative.

Procedure Area

An area within the healthcare facility that performs invasive and minimally invasive procedures that require instruments, supplies and equipment

(Workbook) This services is performed on equipment to maintain its proper operating condition

Preventive maintenance

(Workbook) Patient care equipment should be prepared for use and stored in this state 

ready to dispense

(Workbook) equipment that is non-functioning should be

tagged

(Workbook) This equipment is tracked with a computer chip that sends signals to a locator system

Radio frequency identification

(Workbook) Technicians in the (blank) department perform safety inspections and functional tests on equipment

Biomedical/clinical engineering

(Workbook) When patient equipment enters a healthcare facility, it must be safety checked by a

Biomedical technician

(Workbook) Which of the following requires that preventive maintenance (PM) standards be established for medical equipment?

The joint commission (TJC)

(Workbook) All patients care equipment that was dispensed for use must be considered

contaminated

(Workbook) Which of the following is NOT a consideration for SP technicians when recording and maintaining patient care equipment?

Patient diagnosis

(Workbook) Disposable components, such as pads and tubing, on patient care equipment should be

Discarded at the point of use

(Workbook) Equipment should be inspected for obvious hazards such as cracked or frayed electrical cords

Whenever the equipment is inspected in SP

(Workbook) If an equipment malfunction causes patient harm, it should be

returned immediately to the biomedical engineering department

(Workbook) Patient care equipment should be stored in a

ready to dispense

(Workbook) Patient care equipment is typically stored in the

sterile processing department

(Workbook) When transporting soiled medical equipment:

Choose a route that minimizes contact with patients

(Workbook) Which of the following statements is correct?

Tracking patient care equipment can prevent equipment shortages

(Workbook) Equipment leasing and rental differ in that:

Equipment rental is usually done on a shorter term basis than equipment leasing

(Workbook) PM is

Designed to identify potential problems before they occur

(Workbook) The decision to use reusable or disposable instruments in procedure trays is determined by

several factors, including physician preference, storage and cost

SPD may be responsible for providing sterile equipment to healthcare units throughout the facility, such as…

• Intensive care unit (ICU)

• Emergency Department

• Pediatric Intensive Care unit

• Labor and Delivery

The importance of patient care equipment was…

Identified as one of the top 10 health technology hazards for 2022

Understanding the purpose of basic types of patient care equipment can…

improve customer service

What do technicians in the biomed/clinical engineering department do?

Perform safety inspections and function tests on medical equipment.

The joint commission requires that preventive maintenance standards be established for healthcare equipment. The following information should be recorded:

• Assigned equipment location

• Ownership status (rented, leased, owned, borrowed)

• Schedule for PM

• PM history

• Facility-defined PM standards

• Repair history

All equipment that appears to need repair should be…

Cleaned and sent to Biomed personnel for inspection

Consider the following when transporting soiled, medical equipment:

• Using a closed cart to minimalize cross-contamination

• Choosing a route that minimizes contact with healthcare patrons 

• Using ppe, such as gloves, when handling soiled equipment

• Performing hand hygiene procedures after removing gloves and when hands become soiled