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Infection Prevention CSSD

Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD): Patient safety starts here

The CSSD plays a vital role in patient safety and in reducing hospital surgical infection.

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From an infection control perspective, it is essential to ensure that proper disinfection of surgical equipment is performed.^[1] If instruments are microbially contaminated, this leads to an increased likelihood of contamination and subsequent infection of the surgical wound.^[2] Therefore, appropriate sterilization of surgical instruments is recommended as one of the fundamental and proven measures against surgical site infection (SSI).^{[2], [3]}

Female employee in the central sterile supply department with containers

Many hospital departments rely on the service from the CSSD

The Central Sterile Supply Department is responsible for preparing medical/ surgical supplies and equipment so that they are sterile and ready for use in patient care.^[4] With the centralization of the pre-disinfection, cleaning, packing and sterilization of all items in one department, it is of paramount importance to provide consistently high standards in the sterilization techniques and product quality.^[5] As the number and variety of surgical procedures and the types of medical devices are constantly growing,^[6] an optimized processing is very important for efficiency, economy and patient safety.^{[5], [7]}

Implementing state-of-the-art technologies and processes may help to increase safety for patients and staff

High barriers have to be overcome in order to copy/replicate best practices known in the sterilization process. Systems should be in place to support and ensure that surgical instruments are correctly handled before and after surgery.^[8] Digital solutions in support of CSSD processes allow for simple data administration and documentation. These solutions may reduce errors, stress and pressure among the CSSD staff and facilitate adherence to procedures and guidelines. In addition, digital solutions enable instant data updates and other efficient ways to exchange information. Upgrading the quality management with the latest developments helps to maintain a high standard in the CSSD, the “backbone” of sterile practice in any hospital.

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[1] Rodrigues C, Mehta AC, Jha U, Bharucha M, Dastur FD, Udwadia TE. Nosocomial Mycobacterium chelonae infection in laparoscopic surgery. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2001;22:474-5.

[2] Saito, Yuhei et al. Microbial contamination of surgical instruments used for laparotomy American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 42 , Issue 1 , 43-47.

[3] World Health Organization 2009. WHO guidelines for safe surgery 2009. Accessed December 14, 2012.

[4] Nagpal AK, Shriniwas. Planning and organization of the C. S. S. D.NIHAE Bull. 1977;10(4):259-69.

[5] Hospital Sterilization. Nagaraja Prem Anand. Jaypee Brothers Publishers, 2011.

[6] General Surgery Devices Market: Rising Surgical Procedures To Propel The Market By 2024, Industry: Medical Devices

[7] van de Klundert J, Muls P, Schadd M. Optimizing sterilization logistics in hospitals. Health Care Manag Sci. 2008 Mar;11(1):23-33.

[8] Wilson J, Topley K, Stott D, Neachell J, Gallagher R. The OneTogether collaborative approach to reduce the risk of surgical site infection: identifying the challenges to assuring best practice. J Infect Prev. 2015;16(3):118-125.

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