Container systems

[Ed G]

I would like to how everyone is handling the rigid containers as far as cleaning between uses. I have worked at hospitals where we put them through the cart washer after every use and at others where we would bring them down to SPD on the clean side and inspect them before using them again. I spoke with our infection control manager and she feels that there is not a need to put them through the cart wash after every single use as the containers are seperated in the OR from the inside baskets and we make our rounds and pick them up through out the day.... Any thoughts?

[Dustin Laundry]

If they weren't present in the OR when the Skin incision was done, then there is no reason to consider them contaminated. But if somebody forgot to remove them, then they should be considered contaminated and must be washed/disinfected.

[Tom S, Instructor Ca]

At a facility here in northern California the past practice was to just wipe the inside and outside of the the rigid container with a disinfecting wipe. We stopped that, and every container was process in the cart washer. We were very happy with this new practice. It didn't matter if the container was removed from the OR room before the patient was brought in or not. Some containers can sit on shelves for weeks before use. Air currents will deposit contaminants on the outside of the containers. I hope this helps, good luck.

[Guest]

Not washing containers after each use is an unexceptable practice. AAMI ST35 clearly states that all containers must be decontaminated after every use.