422 - Decontamination 101

Decontamination 101 Point-of-UseCleaning,Containmentand TransportingContaminatedSurgical Instruments FEBRUARY 2019 | The Surgical Technologist | 61 Tyronne Johnson, cst, crcst L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S s Determine why point-of-use cleaning is critical to patient safety s Identify the FDA’s six criteria for providing written reprocessing instructions s Review ANSI/AAMI’s standards for cleaning and decontamination s Discuss the steps of transporting containers to the SPD s Analyze the role the CST plays in POU cleaning C STs are responsible for managing the POU care and handling of contaminated reusable items to contribute to the decontamina- tion process performed by the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) technicians. This involves following manufacturer instructions that are validated methods for reprocessing surgical instruments. It is imperative that the surgical team works together to precisely follow these instructions. W H Y I S P O I N T - O F - U S E C L E A N I N G A N D D E C O N T A M I N A T I O N S O I M P O R T A N T ? The importance of POU cleaning, safe transportation of contaminated devices to SPD and timely processing of devices cannot be overstated. POU cleaning is crucial for minimizing cross-contamination during containment and transportation from the operating room to SPD. The Point-of-use (POU) cleaning of surgical instru- ments is a crucial component of surgical instrument management. POU cleaning is the beginning point of the decontamination and ster ilization process, and is essential to patient safety.