SO MUCH TO CLEAN, SO LITTLE TIME – ISSUE NO. 210

Do you ever get the feeling that when you accidentally spill something in your house that the clock starts running and you only have a small window of time before the easy clean up becomes a big chore? Whether its a stain on the carpet or a liquid on the countertop it's imperative to act immediately before the fluid dries and you create more work for yourself. There is nothing more challenging to effective cleaning than receiving instruments in the decontamination area that have dried blood on them. Reducing this concern has always been an issue. Instrument manufacturers, AAMI, AORN and others generally recommend that decontamination of instruments begin within 30 minutes of use so that organic soils, particularly blood, do not dry. But often this is not possible. There are different ways to prolong the soils from drying on the instruments, but one of the easiest and effective measures is by using a Humipak. Not only will it keep instruments moist longer, but it comes in sizes large enough to fit an entire instrument tray. When the decontam is at its peak time of being busy it's important that you are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the instruments in your department are being cleaned effectively and efficiently.