Central Service - Issue 2/05

EDITORIAL

What about the Patient?

NEWS UPDATE

What's New in Standardisation: 2nd Edition of EN 285 Put on Hold
Decontamination Sciences Worldwide. Decontamination Sciences Congress, 30 March - 1 April 2005, London
The First EFHSS "Sparkling Egg" Award
6th International Forum "Medical Device Processing": Instrument Management. Berlin, 25 February 2005

MAIN ARTICLES

K. Roth, W. Michels:
Inter-Hospital Trials to Determine Minimal Cleaning Performance According to the Guideline by DGKH, DGSV and AKI
(Zentr Steril 2005; 13 (2): 106-116)

Abstract
In order to implement the coming EN ISO 15883 in practice, a working group consisting of members of the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH), the German Society for Sterilisation Supply (DGSV) and of the Working Group Instrument Reprocessing (AKI)3, worked out and published the Guideline of the DGKH, DGSV and AKI Validation and Routine Monitoring of Automated Cleaning and Disinfection Processes for Heat-Resistant Medical Devices as Well as Advice on Selecting Washer-Disinfectors (WD) Part 14. Parallel to working on the Guideline, a test method was elaborated which facilitated an assessment of the performance of WDs. In an inter-hospital trial conducted in 18 hospitals, the practicability and meaningfulness of the test method was investigated. It became clear that the pre-determined benchmark value was not achieved by all the WDs. For 13 WDs the results were in the vicinity of the hazard value (> 50 µg), and immediate measures for improving washing performance had to be taken. From these 13, four gave results, which were above the threshold value, and it was necessary to remove these WDs from active duty until they could be positively requalified, i.e. they should on no account be further used for routine reprocessing. Five of the participants of the inter-hospital test attained the benchmark value. Although the sensitivity of the semi-quantitative Biuret/BCA method used in the tests is fairly low, it can be presumed that the test method is sufficient for the moment to identify WDs with poor cleaning quality, and to monitor the quality of the measures carried out here.

M. Knoll, M. Borneff-Lipp:
Hygiene Has to Move On
(Zentr Steril 2005; 13 (2): 118-125)

Abstract
The economic situation of German hospitals will dramatically change due to the new clinic accounting system DRG (diagnosis-related groups). So far, revenues from hospital hygienic investigations had been secured, but now a drop in contracts will be expected with the beginning of the convergence phase in 2005. In less than no time the infection control departments will have to succeed in giving special emphasis on the preventative character of their own doings and, at the same time, in making it clear to their contractors that infection control and hygiene contribute their share to the profit potential of the hospital. For this purpose, it is absolutely necessary that budget-minded thought gives way to market-oriented action. Furthermore, swiftness, cost reduction, and optimization of resources are necessary to be able to compete for in-house contracts with private competitors.

RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE QUALITY TASK GROUP (AK »QUALITÄT«)

*** In German only! The English version of this publication will be published in the next issue of Central Service! ***