Pawel de Sternberg Stojalowski MSc, BSc, MBA presents a case study which demonstrates the value of using process challenge devices designed to simulate cleaning of heavily soiled instruments in automated washers.
In one of the latest online posts from Beyond Clean, they wrote: “The most difficult thing in our industry is to constantly question the status quo – even when others around us seem not to notice. All members of the patient care team must feel empowered to raise a concern and stop the line – regardless of how long the issue has been at play.” I thought about the cleaning of surgical instruments from this quote’s perspective, and realised that the problem is not only about raising concern and stopping the line but identifying that the problem is there in the first place.
Process challenge devices (PCDs) for evaluation of cleaning processes are partially to blame because they promise to do part of the job for us. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tool that tells you that your instruments are clean without rigorously inspecting every single instrument for contamination? A great idea indeed, but there is a caveat. All PCDs for cleaning evaluation aim to represent contamination on instruments – the question is how well do they do it and what is lost in translation?
Process assessment
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