Vol. XIV, No. 1Archive > January, 2013
Are Your Instruments Really Sterile?
They are if you understand how indicators work and what sterilizer printouts say.
Nancy Chobin, RN, AAS, ACSP, CSPDM
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Chemical indicators must be placed where it's difficult for steam to reach.In my travels as a sterile processing educator and consultant, I've seen instrument reprocessing staffs make the same mistakes when using chemical and biological indicators, and reading sterilizer printouts. Let's review some common oversights to ensure you're not jeopardizing instrument sterility in your facility.
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