The design of pressure monitoring devices: Infection control considerations

Reports of infections related to in-use contamination or incomplete sterilization of pressure monitoring devices have appeared infrequently. However, review of our experience with such infections suggests a need for the medical instrumentation industry to stress infection prevention in the design of monitoring devices. Notably, it will be important for the industry to: (a) design pressure monitoring devices that can be sterilized rapidly, efficiently, and easily between use in different patients, even during periods of peak monitoring use; (b) develop reliable and simple means for aseptically calibrating and setting up monitoring devices after sterilization; and (c) design simple monitoring systems that will be resistant to in-use contamination and that will allow patients' monitoring tubing and fluid to be replaced aseptically at regular intervals.