Protecting patients, personnel, instruments in the OR

The AORN "Recommended practices for care of instruments, scopes, and powered surgical instruments" should be followed: Decontamination of instruments should occur immediately after completion of the surgical procedure. Following initial decontamination by manual or automatic decontamination, instruments should be processed in an ultrasonic cleaner. Nurses should review the equipment available for decontamination and ask themselves the following questions. Are instruments being cleaned thoroughly? Does the decontamination system clean the item in a timely manner? Is precleaning of instruments necessary? Does the system save time? Is there an adequate area for decontamination? If the answers to any of these questions are debatable, nurses should reevaluate their present decontamination system. Regarding sterilization, nurses should ask the following questions. Are instruments routinely flash sterilized? Does the current procedure follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for sterilizing instruments that will invade the body and enter sterile areas? Are instruments being damaged? Does the current method of sterilization offer quick turn-around time? Proper instrument processing is part of an effective infection control program. It is an important way to protect your patients from harm.