Down to the Dungeon: Infection Prevention in Sterile Processing Departments

Session Description: The Sterile Processing Department (SPD) is a complex network of people and processes, and the steps and opportunities for errors when reprocessing reusable surgical instruments are vast. These errors can lead to profound and devastating impacts on patient outcomes such as infection, disability, and death. This session aims to facilitate an infection preventionist's comfort level in SPD to analyze potential deficiencies within the department's workflow. Participants will learn how to create and perform an SPD risk assessment using the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) guidelines and recommendations from professional organizations such as the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). Additionally, tracer methodology will be examined to identify and track the critical reprocessing steps needed from point-of-use care in the operating room, to the decontamination area, into the clean assembly area, and into the sterile storage area. Finally, the manufacturer's instructions for use (IFUs) for various instruments will be reviewed and examined to understand their role in SPD.