IAHCSMM
May 2-6, 2009
Orlando, Fla.
ASP Booth Nos. 55 & 56

SGNA
May 15-20, 2009
St. Louis, Mo.
ASP Booth No. 614

Charles Roberts, MS
Director of Research,
Microbiology &
Chemistry, ASP


Barbara Trattler,
RN, MPA, CNOR, CNA
Director of Clinical
Education, ASP

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Jesse Smith
Territory: No. New Jersey
Years with ASP: 4

ASP account executive Jesse Smith’s role as a volunteer emergency medical technician with the Mendham Township First Aid Squad for 28 years allows him to give back to the community and provides a valuable example to his children. “I’ve always felt that it’s important for neighbors to help neighbors,” Jesse said. “It also is a great example for my kids—showing them the value of helping people in need.”

Being a volunteer EMT also helps Jesse better understand his customers, who also are patient focused. Jesse and his team recently saved the life of a 42-year-old mother of two who went into cardiac arrest. “It was my first CPR save, so it was a memorable experience,” he said.

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Properly Connecting Endoscopes to
Tubing Sets
By Bettyann Hutchisson, Clinical Education Consultant, ASP

To ensure effective cleaning and high-level disinfection in automatic endoscope reprocessors (AER), it is important to use the proper tubing sets for your specific type of endoscope and that the tubing sets are properly connected to the device. Follow three easy steps:

1. Once you have located the correct tubing set, connect the quick-release coupling elbow end of one of the tubing sets to one of the quick-release couplings in the left rear corner of the AER basin. Use all of the couplings to ensure that they wear evenly.

2. Connect the other end of the tubing set to the adapter on the endoscope or directly to the endoscope. Check for kinks in the tubing that may impede fluid flow.

3. Fiberscopes and videoscopes that have elevator channels need additional attention to be sure the channels are properly cleaned and high-level disinfected. Elevator channels must be manually prepared using a small syringe to fill the channel with disinfectant.

CIDEX^® OPA Solution Plays Key Role in Instrument Processing at Bryn Mawr Hospital for Almost 10 Years

Bryn Mawr Hospital is a busy 323-bed medical center that is part of Main Line Health, a five-hospital system serving suburban Philadelphia. It offers a range of endoscopic procedures and in 2008 handled more than 2,100 colonoscopies and endoscopies.

The hospital adopted CIDEX^® OPA Solution more than nine years ago for its ease of use and contribution to staff safety, including a reduction in fumes. Since then, CIDEX OPA Solution has become a key part of its infection prevention practices, providing not only effective high-level disinfection, but also increasing efficiency and minimizing instrument damage and repair costs. 

Standardization & Impact on Budget 
Bryn Mawr’s positive experience with CIDEX^® OPA Solution led to its adoption at all four Main Line Health acute-care hospitals, as well as its rehab facility.  The five hospitals have standardized the use of CIDEX OPA Solution, allowing the infection prevention staff to develop and implement a common set of policies and procedures for all of the hospitals.  In turn, efficiency has increased by streamlining staff training and eliminating the need to customize materials for each site.  READ MORE…

Safe, Effective Transport and Handling of Flexible Endoscopes

Safely transporting and storing fragile and expensive flexible endoscopes is vital for hospitals and GI departments, as improper handling of scopes can lead to compromised patient safety as well as significant repair bills. The new CLEANASCOPE System, a unique storage and transportation system available through Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), addresses many of the challenges associated with transporting endoscopes before and after reprocessing.

Cross Contamination
Cross contamination of endoscopes can impact patient safety by exposing patients to the risk of infection. For this reason, professional organizations have developed guidelines to govern the transport and handling of flexible endoscopes. For example:

• AORN recommends that endoscopes be transported “…in a manner that preserves the sterilization/disinfection status of the endoscope.”(1)
• SGNA recommends transporting endoscopes in closed containers to avoid chances for cross contamination. Its guidelines state that, “When transporting a scope to the reprocessing area, an enclosed container will prevent escape of airborne and droplet contaminants. It is important to consider both the protection of the apparatus and the environment during transport.”(2,3) READ MORE…

Are there alternatives to the recently discontinued STERIS System 1 Processor?

Facilities seeking an alternative to their discontinued STERIS System 1 Processor should carefully consider several questions before making a decision:

• Is “just-in-time” sterilization the best standard of sterilization for your facility?
• Is there a potential for reduced endoscope damage and lower repair costs by switching from peracetic acid to an alternative system?
• If high-level disinfection and not sterilization is your goal, do you see the potential benefits of a system that eliminates manual cleaning of flexible endoscopes?

Based on the answers to these questions, facilities could consider ASP’s STERRAD^® NX™ System, which utilizes an advanced hydrogen peroxide gas plasma process to rapidly sterilize a wide range of instruments at a low temperature. It offers a 28-minute standard cycle time and a 38-minute advanced cycle for devices such as single-channel flexible endoscopes. It also offers the flexibility of having dry, packaged, sterilized instruments available for use anytime, enabling facilities to handle more caseloads without delays. Another option is the ASP EVOTECH™ Endoscope Cleaner and Reprocessor—the first commercially available system to eliminate labor-intensive manual cleaning of endoscopes.* It establishes a consistently high standard of automated endoscope cleaning and high-level disinfection that is comparable to professional society guidelines for manual cleaning. In addition, the EVOTECH System uses a proprietary CIDEX^® OPA Solution formulation that is gentle on instruments.

STERIS System 1 is a registered trademark of STERIS Corporation.
* No manual cleaning is required when selecting a cycle that has a wash stage; bedside precleaning is still required.

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 How is high-level disinfection different from sterilization?

It is important for anyone involved in instrument processing to understand the different roles of high-level disinfection and sterilization. The Spaulding Classification System dictates that reusable medical devices that enter the bloodstream or normally sterile tissue—known as critical items—should be sterilized. Semi-critical devices, or reusable devices that touch mucous membranes or skin that is not intact, should be high-level disinfected.(1) 

Alternatively, high-level disinfection is achieved using chemical germicides that eliminate virtually all recognized pathogenic microorganisms on instruments, except high levels of bacterial spores.  High-level disinfection can be accomplished via manual soaking or in automatic endoscope reprocessing systems.  The ASP EVOTECH™ Endoscope Cleaner and Reprocessor automates the cleaning and high-level disinfection of endoscopes.

References
1. Grahs P. General guidelines for use of chemical disinfectants: cleaning and disinfecting—disinfection of bloodborne pathogens. Infection Control Today. Posted Jan. 1, 2001. Available at: http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com. Accessed Feb. 27, 2009.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sterilization or disinfection of medical devices. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/bp_sterilization_medDevices.html. Accessed Feb. 27, 2009.

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Do you have a question for Reprocessor Q&A? 
E-mail us at: frontiers@aspus.jnj.com.

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For More Information
To learn more about ASP or CIDEX^® OPA Solution, or tell us what you’d like to see covered in a future issues, please call 888–783–7723 or e-mail frontiers@aspus.jnj.com.