Brian W Skellie – Sharing ideas
Our friends at the CDC created a helpful website about hand washing, which is worth the time to read through. I particularly appreciate their “Show me the science” section. ;) How to make your own “Didn’t Wash Hands” Alarm | MAKE. Big brother says, “wash your hands” More on Germ theory by How Stuff Works: Related: … Read more
Aseptic No Touch Technique may be used in conjunction with sterile gloves as an alternative to full surgical asepsis for body piercing procedures. I demonstrated variations on this with colleagues during the Versatility in Piercing Techniques series of workshops for the 2014 APP conference. The following is from ANTT.org: What is Aseptic Non Touch Technique ANTT? ANTT is defined … Read more
This is very similar to what I saw when I visited Industrial Strength LLC Sharp Ass Needles, without the hubs, followed by cleaning and chemical passivation. They are ready to be sterilized and used. We use 304 SST and keep on file for every lot of needles we make a passivation certificate. We also have an … Read more
“This article presented some sound information, but there’s still much more to know. When piercings are performed by a trained professional using sterile equipment and high quality jewelry, and appropriate aftercare is followed, the risks are drastically minimized.” — Elayne Angel, APP President
A brief detour from chemistry, branching out into science in general today. This graphic looks at the different factors that can contribute towards ‘bad’ science
One of the most commonly used materials for body jewelry, the ASTM F136 – Standard Specification for Wrought Titanium-6Aluminum-4Vanadium ELI (Extra Low Interstitial) Alloy for Surgical Implant Applications (UNS R56401) has been revised to F136-13 developed by Committee F04.12, ASTM BOS Volume13.01.
The new version changes are in section 9. Special Requirements
(Infection Control Today, PDF)
In light of a number of high-profile recalls of contaminated alcohol prep products in the last several years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently weighing whether or not to require sterility of patient skin prep products, specifically items such as alcohol prep pads used for injections, but it is not ruling out other surgical prep products.
On Dec. 12, 2012, the FDA held a hearing to receive expert testimony and public comment on how to address microbial contamination of these patient preoperative skin preparation drug products. It is a step in the ongoing investigational process that the agency is undertaking to determine issues related to sterility impacted by manufacturing processes.
An FDA spokesperson says that the panel members and FDA’s working group have received the submissions from the hearing and have been deliberating. FDA’s working group will be ready to make new recommendations in the coming months. The spokesperson adds that FDA’s working group has been soliciting clinician feedback from the FDA’s federal partners and other public health organizations, and that the agency will be ready to make new recommendations in the coming months.
Currently, patient preoperative skin preparations are not required to be sterile, since bacteria can contaminate these products at the time of manufacture or during product use. But because contaminated patient preoperative skin preparations have been associated with clinical infections and adverse outcomes, the FDA is exploring certain scientific and product-use issues related to patient preoperative skin preparations.
Patient preoperative skin preparations are over-the-counter (OTC) topical antiseptic drug products used to reduce the number of bacteria on the skin prior to medical procedures or injections. Although they are marketed predominantly to healthcare facilities, the use of these products extends beyond the healthcare facility setting.
SSI Prevention: Evidence-Based Practices Replace Lingering “Sacred Cows’ in the OR
This report explores the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) within the context of evidence-based practices replacing “sacred cows” in the operating room. It focuses on the critical practice of preoperative hair removal.
When Thomas Paine noted in 1776 that, “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right,” he could not have imagined that he was describing a current tug-of-war that still exists in some operating rooms today.
Original article: Researchers Develop Off-Grid Sterilization with Solar Steam.
Copyright 2013 by Virgo Publishing https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/
Posted on: 07/22/2013
Rice University graduate student Oara Neumann, left, and scientist Naomi Halas are co-authors of a new study about a highly efficient method of turning sunlight into heat. They expect their technology to have an initial impact as an ultra-small-scale system to treat human waste in developing nations without sewer systems or electricity. Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University.
Standards are useful, and guidance based on evidence is often even more so.
Scope
This guidance provides recommendations regarding reuse instructions in labeling for reusable medical devices and the validation of the recommended reprocessing process in the instructions. The recommendations are applicable to the three device reprocessing situations below.
