Cost of Sterilization

[Linda Breadmont]

Does anyone have a formula for determining the cost of a load ran in the steam sterilizer?

[David Freeman]

Linda,

It's pennies. Depending on the size of your sterilizer and the number of packs, whether you use rigid containers or disposable wraps, BI's etc., etc., etc.. Your hospital already produces steam for other things and electricity??? How can you figure the cost of that relative to everything else. I would not be surprised if my hospital just spent more paying me to write this post than it costs to run all my steam sterilizers today.

Why would you need to find that cost anyway?

[Linda Breadmont]

We are opening a new Childrens Hospital Surgical suite(s) with an SPD. We need to have a "shared services" contract with our Main SPD on the off chance that we have a need to use their sterilizers, i.e., huge volume increase, or our sterilizer is down for the day. I did recieve a reply from a consultant who said the cost was $1.50 per cubit feet (size of sterilizer), and Steris is running some figures for me.

Thanks for your help.

[gphillips]

One way to do it would be to determine the 'cost of ownership' of your sterilizer. If you have a preventive maintenance program that includes parts and labor, then all you would have to do is take this cost, add how much you spend annually on disposables and then divide by the number of cycles run annually.
I agree that the utility costs are probably negligible but you can add a small 'fudge factor' for that if you wish.

[cpdguy]

Robert Mood wrote a paper on this subject. Contact me and I will send you his email address so he can send you a copy of his work.
I found it helpful.

[Linda Breadmont]

Thanks Stephen
The e-mail address would be very helpful.

[kaizen]

Wouldn't you also want factor in labor cost's? Time spent cleaning, assembly and so forth? I know each item is differnt to process but maybe there is a average.

[cpdguy]

Yes to all of the above and more.

Just an FYI, maybe the Long Island group can help. Kathy O;also wrote an award winning paper on this subject. The article appeared in the Journal of Hospital supply,processing and distribution ( as they say,back in the day). Dan Maymorms publication. That was an excent article.Myabe they kept a copy of the article.

Also at one time KC had a program that help youunderstand thie cost associated with sterilization and wrapping. Ask your KC rep. That program was called the "Cost of Instrument Tray Processing( done in 1994,way back in the day). This was part of their Excellence in Sterile Processing Series. It was on Excel.

That was excellent, I used that a lot.

[sheper1]

I would check with your KC rep. About 5 years ago when we were looking at the cost of reusable linen verse disposable linen KC had a national average cost of a sterilization load. I have not be able to find that document but will keep looking.