| For Immediate Release: December 15, 2008 |
Contact: Robert King |
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AAMI Hospital Sterilization Collection Revised for 2009 |
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In all, Sterilization, Part 1: Sterilization in Health Care Facilities, 2008-2009 Edition, includes 15 current hospital sterilization standards (click here for full list), recommended practices, and technical information reports (TIRs), and is available in book and CD-ROM formats. The collection now includes ANSI/AAMI ST79:2006 and A1:2008, Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities (Consolidated text of ST79 and Amendment 1); the newly revised ANSI/ AAMI ST41:2008, Ethylene oxide sterilization in health care facilities: Safety and effectiveness; and AAMI TIR34:2007, Water for the reprocessing of medical devices. Revised Steam Sterilization Guidance According to Cynthia Spry, co-chair of AAMI’s Steam Sterilization Hospital Practices Working Group, which developed ST79 and its recent update, the primary updates to ST79 include:
“Users will find two simple additional washer-disinfector tests listed in Table D.2 of the update,” says Spry. “In the last several years there has been an increased focus on cleaning and a growing appreciation for the significance of proper cleaning in ensuring successful sterilization. The two tests added to the table will give users additional tools to evaluate cleaning.” The guidelines of the new ST41 are intended to promote sterility assurance and to assist healthcare personnel in the proper use of processing equipment. The guidelines are also intended to help ensure the safe use of EO by defining equipment and procedures, including ventilation recommendations and other controls to minimize personnel exposure to EO or its residuals. “EO should only be used for items that cannot be steam sterilized,” because of its the toxicity, flammability, and explosiveness, notes Phil Schneider, co-chair of the Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Hospital Practices Working Group. Because healthcare facilities differ in their physical design and equipment, and in the training level of personnel with regard to sterilization processing, the revised ST41 sets forth guidelines for facility design and work practices to assist healthcare personnel in developing procedures to achieve and maintain the sterility assurance level (SAL) of devices sterilized by EO. New Guidance on Water Quality TIR34: 2007 — Water for the Reprocessing of Medical Devices is the first-ever TIR to address this issue. Developed by AAMI’s Water Quality for Medical Devices Reprocessing Group under the auspices of the AAMI Sterilization Standards Committee, the document is an ideal guide for professionals involved in either water quality or device reprocessing — including infection control practitioners, central sterile personnel, and physical plant/maintenance professionals. According to Steve Goldstine, PhD, a sterilization consultant and co-chair of the working group, “because there are so many different types of equipment available for sterilizing water, this document can be very helpful as an aid in making purchasing decisions.” Ensuring adequate water quality for device reprocessing requires collaboration between the personnel who reprocess medical devices and those who establish and maintain the water treatment system. TIR34 describes how to assess, generate, monitor, and maintain water to meet requirements. Also included in Sterilization, Part 1, is ANSI/AAMI/ISO TIR11139, Sterilization of health care products — Vocabulary, which provides a useful baseline in sterilization terminology for the field. The Sterilization, Part 1,collection includes the following documents:
Founded in 1967, AAMI is the world's leading organization dedicated to advancing the safe and effective development and use of medical technology. AAMI's annual conference attracts healthcare professionals from hospitals, universities, consulting firms, independent service organizations, and manufacturing companies around the world. |
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