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Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscope Reprocessing News Healthmark Industries Infection Control Tips Tutorials

Webinar Registration: Endoscope Microbial Surveillance Testing Made Easy

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Healthmark Industries is hosting a complimentary Webinar on December 5, 2016 to review Endoscope Microbial Surveillance Testing. Register online today!

The featured speakers, Mary Ann Drosnock, MS, CIC, CFER, FAPIC, RM(NRCM) and Alpa Patel are experts in the realm of microbiology and the current standards for endoscope reprocessing.

 

SIGN UP TODAY!

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Bronchoscope Cleaning Cleaning Verification Stations Healthmark Industries Infection Control Tips

Infections Associated with Reprocessed Flexible Bronchoscopes: FDA Safety Communication

HMARK - ENDOCHECK - HHS-lowAccording to a recent study, approximately 500,000 Bronchoscopes are performed nationwide each year. The FDA is taking a serious look at how meticulously these scopes are cleaned after each use. The team at Houston Hospital Services, Inc. in partnership with Healthmark Industries, offers solutions for some of the cleaning process failures outlined in this recent report. Below is an excerpt from that report. To read the report in its entirety, CLICK HERE

  • Failure to meticulously follow manufacturer instructions for reprocessing, including:
    • Lack of pre-cleaning at point of use. Pre-cleaning typically includes surface wiping and channel flushing to prevent drying of blood, tissue and other biological debris;
    • Failure to perform thorough manual cleaning before high-level disinfection (HLD) or sterilization;
    • Failure to flush or brush channels;
    • Use of expired detergent or high-level disinfectant;
    • Insufficient flushing, rinsing and/or drying after HLD.
  • Continued use of devices despite integrity, maintenance and mechanical issues, including:
    • Persistent device channel kinks or bends;
    • Channel wall scratches, divots, or crevices;
    • Holes, cracks, or other imperfections in the distal end;
    • Use of repaired or refurbished devices using out-of-specification parts;
    • Use of devices despite residual material in the instrument or suction channels.

Unfortunately, this isn’t something we are seeing LESS of in the news. However, we are confident steps are being taken at all levels to ensure patient safety and care. Healthmark Industries has an entire line of cleaning verification products that add very little time, money and effort to each procedure.  Contact us today to learn more or to schedule your departmental in-service TODAY. (713) 640-5393 or team@hhstx.com

 

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Endoscope Reprocessing News IAHCSMM Infection Control Tips

Reprocessing Risks: A Surging Hot Topic in Healthcare

Endoscope_reprocessing

FISIf you find yourself anywhere near the healthcare industry, you are sure to find yourself inundated with white papers, a newspaper articles and magazine covers touching on the challenges, education and healthcare changes necessary to ensure patient safety regards to endoscope reprocessing techniques within hospital systems nationwide. According to a recent article in Communiqué Magazine, steps for success and safety – as set forth by agencies such as the CDC/FDA (HAN 00383) and ANSI/AAMI ST79 – must be carefully followed.

The temperature continues to rise on the topic of dirty endoscopes and reprocessing risks associated with all types of reusable instruments. The good news? Top lines such as Healthmark, Sterile Services and Applied Logic (Abacus 2) continue their quest to create products to verify cleaning, verify steam sterilizer functions and create accountability through instrument tracking to the patients. All of these lines are direct partners of Houston Hospital Services, Inc. We care about the infection control. We care about proper device handling. We care about patient safety and we care about your hospital.