Celebrate International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) 2012 with ASP!

October 14 - 20, 2012

As a global leader in infection prevention, ASP proudly supports all of the healthcare workers worldwide who work hard to protect lives against infection!

Be sure to also check out our professional education Web site as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages for daily activities designed to keep you in the know about ASP’s innovative solutions!

• October 15, 2012 – Global Handwashing Day
  

  Today is Global Hand Washing Day and the second day of International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) 2012! Global Hand Washing Day was initiated by the UN General Assembly to improve patient safety and reduce infection rates by implementing simple behavioral changes, such as hand washing with soap. Join ASP as we spread the word about the major role infection preventionists play in helping prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

  Test your hand hygiene knowledge by participating in our Facebook quiz

• October 16, 2012 – Terminal Sterilization Day 
  

  The STERRAD^® Sterility Guide (SSG) has reached a new milestone! More than 2,000 devices have been added since the beginning of the year! For the complete list of specific devices that have been added to the SSG for the applicable STERRAD^® System, visit www.sterradsterilityguide.com.

  Make sure you also check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for daily activities designed to keep you in the know!

• October 17, 2012 – Happy High-Level Disinfection Day! 
  

  In honor of day four of International Infection Prevention Week, ASP is pleased to share the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates’ (SGNA) updated guidelines on endoscope reprocessing. The Standards of Infection Control in Reprocessing of Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes 2012. The new developments within are important for infection preventionists, given they are responsible for ensuring that their facility’s endoscope reprocessing complies with published guidelines.

  SGNA’s guidelines now state, “the redundancy achieved by adding an automated washing step following manual cleaning can undoubtedly provide an extra level of safety.”¹ This acknowledgement recognizes the importance of AERs in cleaning and disinfection.

  In addition to acknowledging the new labeling of AERs, the updated SGNA standards also outline new basic steps for cleaning. This includes leak testing, “adequate” brushing and using brushes appropriate for the size of the lumen. Oftentimes, leak testing is not considered an important step in endoscope reprocessing. However, leak testing is crucial and should be performed prior to the manual cleaning process every time a scope is processed because if a leak is missed, there is a danger of further fluid invasion which could harbor microorganisms. As you can see, the updated SGNA guidelines are a big step forward in endoscope reprocessing and high-level disinfection. We are beginning to see organizations and societies update their guidelines to reflect the clinical benefits of reprocessing technologies.

  Click here to read the updated SGNA standards in their entirety. For more information on ASP’s HLD solutions visit http://www.aspjj.com/us/products/high-level and http://www.aspjj.com/us/prof-ed.

  As ASP continues to be at the forefront of education surrounding HLD, we will be hosting a symposium at this year’s United European Gastroenterology (UEG) annual meeting titled “Advancements in Safety: Exploring Better Outcomes Through Innovative Technology.” The symposium is taking place on October 20 and guides the audience through recent published literature exploring the assessment of compliance with guidelines, patient outcomes, human factors, bacteriologic surveillance, and transmission of infections associated with endoscope cleaning, disinfection, storage, and transport. Stay tuned for news from UEG Week taking place October 20 – 24.

• October 18, 2012 – Utilize ASP’s Online Professional Education Resource
  

  Quick access to the latest resources related to infection prevention on:

  • Links to online education ACCESS
  • Regulations ACCESS
  • Published research ACCESS
  • Practice standards ACCESS

  You’re one click away from a resource rich tool that can help you enhance your evidence-based infection prevention practice.

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• October 19 - Check Out Our INFOGRAHPIC: The Effect of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)