As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, surgical facilities are grappling with the challenge of ensuring patients and staff don't contract the virus in their facilities. That's led to...

The proper cleaning and high-level disinfecting of flexible endoscopes has been under increased scrutiny because their long, narrow channels make it difficult for reprocessing...

Believe it or not, there is some good news about the coronavirus. It's an enveloped virus, meaning it's very easy to kill on hard surfaces. Of course, there are a lot of surfaces...

Reports emerged six years ago about fatal outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography...

Elective procedures are beginning again in areas of the country where the curve of the new coronavirus is flattening. If you already have strong infection prevention...

One positive that's come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is a renewed focus on proper infection control practices. Facilities everywhere are ramping up their protocols...

From the HIV crisis of the 1980s to the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 to the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Maureen Spencer, MEd, RN, CIC, FAPIC, has seen a lot during her more than...

Imagine working in a facility where 50 orthopedic surgeons have their own unique skin prepping protocols. Factor in 20 nurses who are trying to support the variations...

The sterile processing staff at Winchester (Va.) Medical Center reprocesses trays of instruments sent to them from 15 ORs. That's a lot to manage, so perhaps it's no surprise...

Any reprocessing tech worth their scrub brush knows dirty instruments can't be properly sterilized. There's another instrument care risk hiding in plain sight, however,...

You recently took to social media to host a Q&A about the coronavirus. What surprised you most about the response?...

Prewarming Works Wonders; Early interventions to maintain normothermia reduce infection risks and increase patient satisfaction.

Working in the ICU comes as a culture shock to surgical professionals who have grown accustomed to the immediate gratification of caring for patients where successful...

Nasal decolonization should be part of a multifaceted approach to stop the transmission of the new coronavirus in surgical settings and to protect staff and...

Endoscopes must be long, narrow and flexible to do their jobs. This also makes them extremely delicate and notoriously difficult to clean. They can break in transport from the procedure room to the sterile processing area and can wear down from daily rounds of high-level disinfection....

Imagine a central sterile processing department that looks like a high-tech manufacturing facility, with employees working alongside advanced machines with...

The lead aprons, skirts and vests your staff wear to protect themselves from radiation exposure are an often-ignored aspect of infection prevention protocols. Following these...

The coronavirus has ground outpatient surgeries to a halt. As the nationwide response to the outbreak enters its second month, every possible healthcare resource is being...

There's always the possibility that a patient with an active infection will arrive at your facility for surgery. To prevent SSIs and stop the spread of multi-drug resistant...

Infection Prevention: You've Got a Friend in SPD; A buddy system improves the effectiveness of instrument care.