A new standard for sterility testing for autoclaved surgical trays

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Sterilization Science
• Clinical Microbiology

Background:

• Sterility testing of autoclaved surgical trays informs safe storage duration.
• Previous studies did not account for clinical handling events like moving and lifting.
• Central Sterilization areas experience frequent tray handling events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a standardized protocol for event-related sterility testing of surgical trays.
• To assess the impact of clinical handling on the sterility of autoclaved surgical trays.
• To compare contamination rates under event-related testing versus traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• A standardized protocol was developed by an expert panel based on observed events in Central Sterilization.
• 600 samples from 100 surgical trays were tested after simulated movement and transport.
• Sterility testing was performed following the standardized event-related protocol.

Main Results:

• Moved surgical trays exhibited a contamination rate of 8.3% in this study.
• This contamination rate is significantly higher than reported in previous time-point sampling studies.
• Event-related testing identified a substantial risk to sterility from handling.

Conclusions:

• Current standards for sterility testing of autoclaved surgical trays may be insufficient.
• The addition of event-related testing to protocols is recommended to improve sterility assurance.
• Clinical handling significantly impacts the sterility of stored surgical trays, necessitating revised testing approaches.