Belimed Blog

In the complex world of healthcare, sterile processing professionals are unsung heroes who play a pivotal role in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Sterile processing relies on precision and compliance, but none of it happens without skilled Field Service Technicians (FSTs). Without proper training, facilities risk downtime, compliance issues, and compromised patient safety.

In the healthcare sector, maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and safety is paramount. Regular policy and procedure review in these areas is essential for several reasons.

This article explores best practices for managing loaned instrumentation, developing a quality reprocessing program, and maintaining productive relationships with vendor representatives.

In the world of sterile processing (SP) or medical device reprocessing, the question of "quality versus quantity" arises frequently. But who oversees this entire process and manages inventory effectively?

In the past, some technicians would crack open the sterilizer door after a cycle. While this may have been a common practice in the past, on a modern sterilizer doing this can increase the risk of contamination and wet packs.

Understanding the difference between cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization is crucial for ensuring patient safety and compliance with infection control standards.

Learn about helpful tools and resources that can be utilized in onboarding programs for sterile processing professionals.

Sterilizers are essential for ensuring that surgical instruments are free from harmful microbes and safe for patient use. The effectiveness of these machines relies on consistent maintenance practices.

Calibration is especially important in sterile processing, where temperature and pressure must precisely reach specified values to provide sterility assurance.

Building a very robust, inspection area in our preparations before sterilization can make or break the outcomes of sterility for almost any instrument.

This blog is going to touch on some best practices for surface cleaning in the SP, and what to be on the lookout for during routine cleaning practices.

The sterile processing department (SPD) plays a critical role in healthcare, ensuring the safety and efficacy of medical procedures by providing sterile instruments and equipment. A cornerstone of this process is the use of clean steam.

Ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of steam sterilizers is paramount in any healthcare setting, as these devices play a crucial role in preventing infections and maintaining patient safety.

When it comes to selecting the right department size for reprocessing it can be quite challenging especially when given the opportunity to complete a new build or undergo a large renovation project.

This blog dives into the important factors to remember when it comes to manuals, and how to use them and why having them available to your staff is critical. 

Achieving reliable cleaning results requires a delicate balance of four factors: action, temperature, concentration, and time. Understanding and managing these factors is essential for thorough cleaning of surgical instruments and medical devices.

The equipment will only operate as well as the utilities supplied to them allow. This means having your utility supplies in specification with the requirements found in each device’s technical manual.

Ultrasonic cleaning is a common method of cleaning in a variety of industries. The sound waves are used to cause a phenomenon called cavitation, which provides the powerful scrubbing action observed in an ultrasonic washer.

Each variety of cleaning chemistry comes with specific reprocessing instructions that must be adhered to. Many of these variances as well as department workflows will determine the type of dosing best for your department.

Proper cleaning of lumens, crevices, channels and ports can be very time consuming and requires the use of proper cleaning tools such as delicate channel brushes or lumen flushing systems.

The reprocessing of medical devices and surgical instruments has evolved rapidly over the years. Let us look at some of the essential things to remember when working in the field.

The most adverse element to proper steam sterilization is the presence of air (non-condensable gasses) inside the chamber. Air shields the items being sterilized from the steam inside of the chamber preventing surgical instruments from being properly sterilized.

As we see the development of medical devices becoming more and more complex, our reprocessing equipment, solutions, resources, and tools must also evolve to support each device’s unique needs.

An important part of any automated washer is its detergent dosing system. The reliable performance of this system is critical to the cleaning and disinfection process performed by the washer. This not only keeps surgical instruments clean but also increases their overall lifespan. Failure to dose properly can cause cycle failures and improperly cleaned instruments.

The ‘just right’ amount of water can be hard to determine. Variables such as wash rack size and the number of instruments being cleaned will change this optimal level. The optimal water volume required to clean a lightly loaded washer will be different than what is required to clean one with a heavy load.

At Belimed we focus on the patient and their safety. We designed our new digital solution, SmartHub, to monitor the processes required for people and machines to deliver the highest possible quality and ensure the highest levels of efficiency in the CSSD.

Consumables play an integral part in sterile processing. Even a small issue can shut an entire Sterile Processing Department (SPD) down. That’s why Belimed Protect® consumables reinforce our commitment to keeping sterile processing environments highly efficient and healthy.

Belimed’s top priority is ensuring that a customer’s SPD is as effective and efficient as possible. We wholeheartedly endorse partnering with an experienced consultant to help you understand what’s in your best interest given your data, logistics, and goals.

Selecting the right equipment is a crucial part of making an SPD as efficient as possible. The right steam sterilization equipment can provide an SPD with outstanding performance without the potentially high costs of maintenance.

Belimed's Planning and Design team of engineers aspires to fully understand each customer's needs, analyze the possibilities, and design the most efficient and safe sterile processing environment for your facility and staff.

Belimed provides hospitals, off site processing facilities, and surgical centers with the products and solutions they need to ensure that their CSSD is operating successfully.

Belimed Infection Control has a full range of services and solutions to help you design, equip, maintain, and manage your Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD).

Proper cleaning of lumens, crevices, channels and ports can be very time consuming and requires the use of proper cleaning tools such as delicate channel brushes or lumen flushing systems.

Any CSSD should be provided with detailed insights regarding surgical instrument tracking software and other tools available within their organization that can help gain improve the processes they are a part of.

As a company dedicated to the reprocessing of medical devices, we understand the significance of providing the best quality devices, as they have a direct impact on patient care. Here are some enlightening facts worth considering!

To become a better critical thinker, it’s important to ask questions when presented with a problem. We can use critical thinking to better handle complex situations and resolve problems more effectively

Surgical instruments are one of the most significant financial investments for healthcare facilities. Proper care should be considered to prolong their useful life and ensure their correct clinical use.