When we experienced an uncharacteristic increase in SSIs starting in August 2018 — 9 infections over the next 6 months — we assumed the spike was related to opening...

Last fall, Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, Okla., made a big push to improve point-of-use instrument cleaning by posting a new regimen for staff to follow...

Benjamin Franklin was right: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Pretty sure Mr. Franklin wasn’t talking about caring for surgical instruments, but we do...

Has your OR staff lost its way when it comes to pretreating instruments at the point of use before sending them out for reprocessing? Have they never even known the way?...

The best defense for battling surgical site infections is a good offense. And part of a good offensive game plan is to make sure your OR nurses understand the importance...

Besides the occasional complaint about incomplete sets or late-arriving trays, how can an OR manager grade the sterile processing department’s performance? We’ve got you...

Dirty instruments, broken instruments, missing instruments. In an ideal world, we'd never have to worry about the sterile processing department (SPD) causing...

To grasp the importance of preventing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in joint replacement patients, consider what happens if the bacteria...

How difficult is it to prep the skin for surgery? You pick an antiseptic agent and paint it on in concentric circles, beginning at the incision site and working outward,...

Cataract surgeons continue to live somewhat dangerously in their efforts to prevent the rare but dangerous infection of post-op endophthalmitis. Topical prophylaxis...

Inside Our Zero-Tolerance Policy for SSIs; A team-based approach to implementing comprehensive protocols has led to a significant dip in infection rates.

The Case for Cleaner OR Air; We're gaining a better understanding of the infection risks posed by airborne pathogens - and how to mitigate them.

Automated Instrument Tracking Seeks and Finds for You; Take full control of every instrument, implant and disposable in your inventory.

On Point: Inching Closer to Zero; Innovation and collaboration will help eliminate preventable SSIs.

Speed Up Your Sterile Processing; New technologies and solutions that can help your hard-working techs turn around instruments quickly and safely.

We Succeeded With Nasal Decolonization; Our protocol is easy to implement, cost-effective and widely accepted by patients.

Hold Anesthesia Providers; Accountable in the Battle Against SSIs Q&A with Silvia Munoz-Price, MD, PhD, infectious disease specialist and proponent of proper infection control practices.

A Proactive Approach To Preventing Hypothermia;Pre-warming was the difference-maker in our quest to maintain normothermia in patients from pre-op to PACU.

Solving the Surprising Skin Prep Problem; Believe it or not, there's a good chance your staff isn't complying with proper application protocols.

Surgery's Dirty Little Secret; A closer look at why contaminated instruments continue to turn up in too many ORs.