Disposable Surgical Tools May Help Prevent Deadly Infections
Yakima, WA (PRWEB) March 18, 2014 -- According to NBC News' Feb. 10, 2014 report, eighteen patients in North Carolina may have been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) because of improperly sterilized surgical tools. This rare brain disease causes failed memory, blindness, and coma, among other symptoms, and kills 90% of patients within one year, with most patients dying within four months of the first sign of symptoms.
“Sadly, human error is unavoidable in the healthcare industry, which makes it all the more imperative that we look into potentially safer disposable surgical tools,” said Brock Remy, director of operations at SurgiMark. “Disposables can help eliminate the concern of cross-contamination and, as a plus, are often more efficient tools with two-in-one capabilities.”
Even though the surgical tools in question were cleaned using standard hospital procedures, NBC News reports the sterile processing department (SPD) failed to implement the enhanced procedures needed for patients with CJD, an unfortunate circumstance that can be evaded by using disposable tools.
There are many reasons SPDs encounter disinfection issues:
• Smaller, specialized surgical tools with tiny, difficult-to-clean channels that become clogged with debris
• Large volume of devices that slow the sterilization process, causing blood and tissue to harden and become difficult to clean
• Manufacturers’ recommended sterilization techniques are often performed under perfect conditions, and do not always translate to a hospital setting
• High turnover rates of SPD staff who do not receive formal certification or licensing, and have poor compensation
“Even with the risk of transmission in these eighteen cases being deemed as ‘very low’ by the Centers for Disease Control, these patients and their families will have to live with this anxiety for the rest of their lives, something we at SurgiMark believe can be prevented through the use of disposable instruments,” said Remy.
Insufficient sterilization has always been the driving factor in the development of SurgiMark’s Yankauer suction devices. Its high-performance Via-Guard Yankauer suction tips are disposable, eliminating the need for complicated cleaning procedures.
About SurgiMark, Inc.
SurgiMark offers versatile and cost-effective surgical suction tools and suction tips. Our patented Via-Guard® suction tips provide high-quality, clog-free and dual-action Poole and tip suction in one Yankauer suction device. Our Yankauer suction tips save hospitals time and money, and provide surgical infection control. SurgiMark’s products are made in the U.S.A., and distributed nationwide.
Breanna Fleckenstein, Adpearance, http://adpearance.com/, +1 (503) 802-9271, [email protected]
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