Microbial contamination of the hospital environment is unavoidable and increasingly is becoming recognised as a key risk factor for healthcare-associated infection (HCAI).
Environmental surfaces have been clearly linked to the transmission of nosocomial pathogens1,2,3 and evidence shows that improved cleanliness of these environments can reduce the incidence of microbial infection.
Any device returned from a clinical area to a medical device library (MDL) – irrespective of how long it remained in this area – should be treated as dirty and potentially contaminated. Consequently, all devices returned to a MDL after use need to undergo an effective cleaning process prior to checking, servicing and storing of the product ready for future use.
At Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, cleaning of medical devices on return to the MDL after use has, traditionally, involved a two-stage process – washing with neutral detergent solution and/or wipes; and then drying with paper towels.
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