The instrument reprocessing area (sterilization area) should be in an area easily accessible from all patient care areas in order to reduce the need to carry contaminated instruments through clean areas of the office. Ideally, the reprocessing (processing/sterilzation) areas should be dedicated only to instrument reprocessing, be separate from the operatories and examination areas, and should absolutely not be in the path of common walkways. It should contain separate areas for:
- Transportation
- Receiving
- Cleaning/Precleaning
- Packaging
- Sterilization
- Storage
- Transporting
- DHCP shall wear appropriate PPE, including HDUG, throughout the entire reprocessing process.
- Prior to removing the instruments from the clinical setting, all sharps must be disposed of in the Sharps container located in the treatment room.
- Instruments should be transported to the instrument reprocessing area (sterilization area) by a means which ensures the safety of the DHCP transporting the instruments, as well as in a manner that will prevent contamination to any other areas or patient contact during transportation.
- DHCP will carry instruments on a hard, ridged, leak-proof tray
- Never carry by hand or rolled in a paper tray cover
- Receiving area
- Contaminated trays, reusable contaminated instruments, trash and disposable items are sorted;
- Disposables are thrown into the regular trash
- Bioburden/infectious waste is thrown into the red bag container
- Contaminated instruments are placed into the ultrasonic cleaner or holding solution until ready to be cleaned (precleaned)
- Trays should be cleaned and disinfected and stored
- This area should be located away from the sterilization unit and away from the storage area of sterilized packages of instruments.
- All proper PPE shall be worn, including HDUG, during this process
- Contaminated trays, reusable contaminated instruments, trash and disposable items are sorted;