31
INFECTION
PREVENTION
&
PATIENT
SAFETY
Rigid Containers vs. Wrapped
Instrument Trays: Which
Offers Better Protection From
Bacteria?
By Heather Punke
W
hen compared to rigid containers, wrapped
instrument trays were better at preventing bac-
terial ingress into a sterilized tray, according to
a study in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers tested 111 rigid containers that were
either unused, used for less than five years or used from
five to nine years, as well as 161 wrapped trays using
three grades of sterilization wrap. They subjected the
trays to aerosolized Micrococcus luteus and air volume
exchanges to simulate what happens during sterilization,
transportation and storage of the instrument trays.
Three findings from the study are:
1. Both used and unused rigid containers did not main-
tain barrier performance: 97 of the 111 containers (87
percent) had bacterial ingress into the container
2. Older rigid containers were significantly more likely
to demonstrate bacterial ingress than those that were
unused, implying that they may become less effective
over time
3. None of the wrapped trays demonstrated bacterial
ingress during the test
"In this study using a dynamic bacterial aerosol
challenge, sterilized wrapped trays demonstrated sig-
nificantly greater protection than sterilized rigid contain-
ers against the ingress of airborne bacteria," the study
concludes. n
6 Best Practices From AORN's Endoscope
Reprocessing Guidelines
By Heather Punke
T
he Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
released an update to its "Guideline for Processing
Flexible Endoscopes" on Feb. 1.
Sharon Van Wicklin, MSN, RN, senior perioperative spe-
cialist and the lead author of the guidelines, spoke with Periop
Insider about the new guidelines. e six evidence-based prac-
tices she discussed are listed below.
1. Record when a procedure is completed and when the clean-
ing is initiated.
2. Mechanically clean and process flexible endoscopes using
a high-level disinfectant or a liquid chemical sterilant, or me-
chanically clean and sterilize, instead of the previously recom-
mended manual soaking of endoscopes.
3. Use cleaning verification tests, not visual inspection.
4. Use a drying cabinet to store flexible endoscopes.
5. Use a team to establish a policy for maximum storage
time, instead of using the five-day storage maximum previously
recommended by AORN.
6. Ensure those in charge of cleaning and processing have been
educated and have completed competency verification. n
BECKER'S
CEO + CFO
ROUNDTABLE
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november 7-9, 2016
swissotel, chicago
Call 1.800.417.2035 or
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