Every day, healthcare facilities' sterile services departments handle thousands of reusable surgical instruments and devices. Instrument design can add complexity to reprocessing work – instruments with non-observable joints and narrow gaps make inspection difficult and increase the cleaning time. Inadequately reprocessed instruments can also lead to rework, delays, and increased stress.
Aesculap SQ.line orthopaedic instruments, from B. Braun Medical, require less manual pre-cleaning and therefore save CSSDs up to 12 minutes in handling time. Visual inspection is also easier with difficult-to-inspect areas reduced by more than 50%.
Suboptimal reprocessing can lead to contaminated instruments arriving in theatre. The consequences of this can be disastrous for patients, staff, clinicians, and the hospital. Significantly, patients are at risk of infections from dirty instruments used on them. Even if a soiled instrument is discovered before it is used on a patient, there could be procedural delays while the healthcare team waits for clean instruments.
According to Patient Safety Organisations in the US, failure to meticulously clean and inspect instruments has led to several cases where the start of surgery has been delayed, with the patient under anaesthesia, due to blood, bone or tissue being found on instruments. There can be a knock-on effect on theatre schedules with cancellations possible. Delays can impact patient care, additionally stretched budgets are affected, with one minute of theatre time in the UK estimated at £24.77. Complications in the reprocessing of surgical instruments can also contribute to Surgical Site Infections (SSI) cases.
According to research, 87% of interviewed CSSDs believe that the SQ.line design may reduce complexity in CSSD, which could help to reduce the risk of surgical site infections. In addition, 97% CSSDs interviewed said they believed that the SQ.line design makes visual inspection easier. CSSDs can see the difference with new instruments designed for easier reprocessing. Aesculap SQ.line instruments are:
- Made entirely from stainless steel without critical interfaces to other materials, meaning they are less vulnerable and easier to clean.
- Eliminate manual pre-cleaning steps with fully machine-cleanable instruments saving up to 12 minutes in handling time.
- Reduce reprocessing rework as the limit of protein residues is reached at an earlier stage during cleaning and disinfection compared to current instrument designs.
- Increase repair possibilities and reduce replacement costs with interchangeable jaws on double action instruments.
- Improve efficiencies in visual inspection with difficult-to-inspect areas reduced by more than 50%.
If you would like to speak to an expert to find out how SQ.line can improve your workload, click here. #SeeTheDifference
