Sterile processing is all that stands between patients and potential exposure to dirty medical instruments. To help support this vital—and often complex—function, AAMI published two important new standards this year that focus on medical device processing.

The first, ANSI/AAMI ST79:2017, Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities, is an update to a widely used standard. Reformatted and reorganized to make it easier to use, this resources includes fresh guidance applicable to all healthcare personnel who use steam for sterilization, regardless of the size of the sterilizer or the type of facility. Using ST79 could help sterile processing departments stay in compliance with accrediting bodies.

The second standard, ANSI/AAMI ST90, Processing of health care products—Quality management systems for reprocessing, is a new document that specifies the minimum requirements for a quality management system that can be used by healthcare organizations that process medical devices. It was developed to help facilities more effectively, efficiently, and consistently reprocess (clean, decontaminate, disinfect, and sterilize) medical devices in order to prevent infections, pyrogenic reactions, and other adverse events.

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Published by AMMI at AAMI News December 2017. http://aami.rd.net/