Infection Control

Pittsburgh-Based Healthcare System Announces Program To Support N95 Mask Sterilization

Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Infection Control, Operational Efficiency, Patient Safety, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery /

Allegheny Health Network (AHN), an integrated healthcare delivery system based in Western Pennsylvania, announced that it has begun sterilizing N95 masks so they can be worn multiple times by hospital workers. As hospitals are facing an extreme shortage of PPE due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many are now implementing systems that will help them reprocess […]

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Mobile Aspects Announces System To Track Reprocessed Personal Protective Equipment Including N95 Masks

Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Infection Control, Operational Efficiency, Patient Safety, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery /

Mobile Aspects, a leading provider of software for supply and asset tracking systems in hospitals, has announced a new product to help in the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The company is building off of its 20-year history of delivering systems that help hospitals automate the tracking and documentation of supplies and assets within

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Hospitals Look To Reprocess N95 Masks Due To Covid-19 Related Shortage

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Operational Efficiency, Regulatory Compliance, Supply Chain /

In the ongoing battle against Covid-19, much of the US healthcare system has suffered from a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for its frontline employees. The shortage of this important protective gear has led to hospital workers being put in needless danger of catching the extremely communicable coronavirus. One company has been working on

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How Automated Endoscope Drying Cabinets Minimize Bacterial Growth

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, storing endoscopes in an automated cabinet with channel drying functionality effectively reduced bacterial growth in the scopes. Because endoscopes are reusable medical instruments, minimizing the amount of bacterial growth in the periods between procedures can dramatically improve patient safety. The study, performed

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ECRI List of Top Patient Safety Concerns Includes Sterile Processing

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

The ECRI Institute, based in Philadelphia, has just released its annual list of patient safety concerns for 2020.  This year’s list includes an entry at number 5 for device cleaning, disinfection and sterilization, echoing prior year concerns about sub-standard disinfection practices for flexible endoscopes and other reusable medical equipment. ECRI’s list is the result of

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Olympus Receives FDA Clearance For Duodenoscope With Disposable Component

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Olympus has joined the list of duodenoscope manufacturers receiving the green light to market a duodenoscope with disposable components by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Following closely on the heels of Pentax and Fujifilm’s models with disposable components, and Boston Scientific’s fully disposable duodenoscope, Olympus is now cleared to sell a duodenoscope

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How One Hospital Avoided A Patient Safety Disaster Using Scope Tracking Software

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Operating Rooms, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Flexible endoscopes present a unique challenge for hospitals to track and manage – these expensive medical instruments must be quickly re-processed after usage in order to provide the required instrumentation for the next procedure, yet they must undergo rigorous, time-consuming reprocessing after every use to ensure the highest levels of patient safety. Due to different

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FDA Issues Recommendation For Use Of Duodenoscopes With Disposable Components

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Shortly following the recent United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the first duodenoscopes with disposable components, the bureau is now recommending that facilities move to the new models where available. The FDA firmly believes that a move to disposable parts, and in some cases fully disposable scopes, will help reduce infection risks.

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How One Hospital Transitioned Endoscope Reprocessing To Central Sterile

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), based in Portland, OR, recently underwent a dramatic change in their endoscopy practice with the opening of the new Center for Health & Healing Building 2 (CHH2). As part of the opening, OHSU moved its endoscopy operations to a new building, with the endoscopy department and central sterile department

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Duodenoscope Safety Continues To Move Forward With First Disposable Model

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the first fully disposable duodenoscope on the market. The industry believes that a move to disposable parts, and now fully disposable scopes, will help reduce infection risks. Poorly disinfected duodenoscopes have been linked to numerous cases of superbug outbreaks over the past several years. The

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