How does that saying go? "The more things change, the more they stay the same." That might be the case in the non-medical world but within the medical world, which is such a dynamic environment, standards and guidelines are always changing and sometimes it is hard to keep up. It looks like the anticipated changes to ST 79 are coming soon and some other documents are now released. The July/August issue of AAMI News (Volume 44, #7) is reporting that AAMI will soon release updates on ST 79 (Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities), there are over 20 updates. AAMI announced last week (7/14/09) that the final versions of two Technical Information Reports, also known as TIR, are now available:

• AAMI TIR 22:2007 and AAMI TIR 22:2007/A1: 2008 (Guidance for ANSI/AAMI/ISO 11607, Packaging for terminally sterilized medical devices - part 1 and part 2 : 2006)
• AAMI TIR 31:2008 (Process challenge devices/test packs for use in health care facilities)

What is the difference between a Standard (ST) and a Technical Information Report (TIR)? Standards and recommended practices are subject to a formal process of committee approval, public review, and resolution of all comments. This process of consensus is supervised by the AAMI Standards Board and, in the case of American National standards, by the American national Standards Institute. Basically a TIR is developed because it is more responsive; the information is valuable, immediate in need and permits the inclusion of differing viewpoints on technical issues. For more detailed description of the differences between a ST and a TIR you can log onto the AAMI web page. Having the most updated versions of all the AAMI standards and guidelines is important. If you do not have any of these publications mentioned you can purchase copies at www.aami.org Take care and remember to "Always Keep it Clean"