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Outpatient Surgery E-Weekly

Contact Congress Over Drug Shortage Issues

A Kentucky congressman is urging surgical facilities to contact their members of Congress and request that they sign his letter demanding changes to...

N.J. Posts ASC Inspection Reports Online

State and federal inspection reports of New Jersey's ASCs are now available online, giving patients an opportunity to make more informed choices abo...

Are Opioids Necessary?

While it's not always practical, or even possible, to eliminate opioids from your post-op pain management regiment, reducing their use in favor of n...

Archive > August, 2010 Vol. XI, No. 8

Surviving a Sterile Processing Failure

Managing the malfunction that can bring your ORs to a halt.

Dawn Yost

Perhaps the chemical indicator in the package of instruments didn't change, or the biological indicator in the sterilizer chamber with a load of trays came out positive. Maybe the autoclave printout reported that the just-completed cycle didn't meet the time, temperature and steam pressure parameters required to ensure instrument sterilization. Whatever the reason, the signs are clear: You have a sterilization failure on your hands, a situation that demands immediate action.

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