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New Mexico Dental Journal, Fall 2016
Staying Ahead of the (Risk) Curve
By Shawn Wright, Owner—Southwest Sterilizers
S
taying ahead of the curve is something you know well as
experts in your field. The world changes at an extremely
fast pace, and as professionals, your job is to keep one eye
on what’s current and one eye on what’s coming.
Unfortunately, the world of infection and infection prevention
is still a bit of a mystery for many highly trained professionals
in the medical field; yet, “superbugs” and antibiotic-resistant
bacteria aren’t waiting for all of the professionals to catch up.
In fact, in five years, the number of HAI’s (healthcare-associ-
ated infections) is estimated to increase approximately 10%
according to the CDC (1) totaling hundreds of thousands of
cases. At the same time, fortunately, we’ve also seen a rise in
advancements and regulation in the sterile processing industry.
What about you? Do you have a sterile processing program
in place for your practice? Do you know how well your office
is handling the most critical components of your sterile
processing? Does your staff stay abreast of best practices in
sterile processing?
The key to staying ahead of the risk curve and maintaining the
safety of your staff and patients is to use the best technology
available and to follow a few simple but crucial steps.
According to OSAP, the CDC, and the ADA, every office must
have a dedicated Infection Control Coordinator (ICC) to take
responsibility for your office’s role in public safety. Let’s take
a look at a few of the responsibilities as they relate to sterile
processing:
Staff training
Your staff is the frontline for your patients’ safety and your
reputation, so it is critical that they have proper sterile
processing knowledge and equipment training. The “how’s”
and “why’s” of using the autoclave/sterilizer in your office
are much more complex than simply pressing a button. Each
year new advancements in the tools you use and their mate-
rial of construction can mean new methods of sterilizing are
required, and it’s up to your ICC to know this and make sure
your processes reflect changes.
Questions
Does your ICC have access to the manufacturer’s
Instructions
for Use
for all the equipment your staff is expected to sterilize?
Has your sterilizing process been validated to ensure that your
staff is correctly loading and preparing equipment prior to
sterilization?
Equipment reliability
It sounds simple, but how do you know that the equip-
ment you are using is reliable and accurate? The parameters
needed to achieve a full six-log reduction in bacterial load
are extremely critical; however, it’s not uncommon for these
machines to slowly develop issues that affect performance
over time. Every equipment manufacturer recommends that
the machine be tested and maintained for safety and accu-
racy at regular intervals, which can be designed to prevent
degradation before it becomes a problem that forces you to
cancel appointments. If you are still using manual type auto-
claves, consider reducing your risk and investing in a digital
machine that meets the latest FDA guidelines and contains
internal performance indicators. Don't let your equipment
increase your risk.
Testing
Did you know that your autoclave can stop properly sterilizing
long before the machine gives any indication of an issue or
stops working? There are many inexpensive and reliable ways
to definitively test the sterile processing in your office, and
some of them can be performed in-house. Biological testing is
the only definitive method of verifying the effectiveness of a
sterilizer and your sterile process.
The key to staying ahead of the risk curve is knowing what
your risks are and having a solid sterile processing program
in place for mitigation. Your staff is the first line of defense in
your office, and with support from you and a robust compli-
ance program from your Infection Control Coordinator, you
can ensure your staff’s and patients’ safety, as well as protect
your reputation.
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