Updated US steam sterilisation guidance reflects increased scrutiny
This article was originally published in RAJ Devices
The US Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation has updated its guide to steam sterilisation and sterility assurance in healthcare facilities to address growing concerns over the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections1.
Cynthia Spry, co-chair of the AAMI’s steam sterilisation hospital practices working group, which developed the guideline (ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities), said that the primary updates included: two new tests to assess efficacy of washer-disinfectors; new guidelines intended to reduce incidence of a postoperative eye infection called toxic anterior segment syndrome, which is associated with inadequately processed eye instruments; and new guidelines to assess the efficacy of sterilisers.
The working group is considering additional proposed changes to the guidelines, some or all of which will be presented to the AAMI Standards Board for final approval, said Ms Spry. Following approval, a second set of changes will be published, likely in late 2009.
Sterilisation practices in the US have come under increased scrutiny in recent months. Furthermore, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have stopped reimbursing certain hospital-acquired conditions (eg catheter-associated urinary tract infections and vascular catheter-associated infections), putting sterilisation practices into sharper focus2.
References
1. AAMI press release, 28 October 2008, www.aami.org/news/2008/102808.st79.html
2. CMS website, accessed 11 November 2008, www.cms.hhs.gov/HospitalAcqCond/06_Hospital-Acquired_Conditions.asp