The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) state, in their most recent published, Guidelines for Reprocessing the Ultrasound Transducer that “Effective disinfection or sterilization requires adequate cleaning.”
As you have been thinking about or reviewing existing SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures), a key factor that is important to always remember is your staff and the complex job they are tasked to complete.
Peracetic acid (PAA) is a high-level disinfectant (HLD) used in various industries ranging from sterilization in a healthcare setting to food processing.
Becker’s Hospital Review reports that, “The total direct, indirect and nonmedical social costs of HAIs are estimated at around $96 billion to $147 billion annually, including loss of work, legal costs and other patient factors.” How can infections cost so much?
In an effort to reduce the amount of time healthcare professionals must spend reprocessing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes, our scientists and engineers have developed the TD 200® Automated TEE Probe Disinfector with TD 12® AquaCide® High Level Disinfectant.
While transesophageal echocardiography has been helpful in assessing cardiac function for COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 presents healthcare facilities with new challenges.
We have recently upgraded and significantly expanded our in-house Microbiology and Chemistry Laboratories. This renovation helps keep us on the cutting edge of our field and provides you with great products that can get the job done right, every time, saving you time, money, and stress.
After bedside cleaning, cleaning, and then high-level disinfecting a TEE ultrasound probe, it’s time to give it a quick wipe with a paper towel and store it. If this sounds familiar, you’re not drying your probes properly.
Knowing the incredible lengths our healthcare workers have gone to keep us all safe has inspired CS Medical to provide solutions to keep our healthcare workers safe.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread shortages of PPE in the healthcare world, especially of face masks, like N95 respirators. Seeing this major problem, CS Medical has teamed up with AirClean Systems to provide a solution to the PPE shortage: the UV Light Box.
Fortunately for those who were looking forward to visiting CS Medical’s booth this year, we have some wonderful news: you don’t have to miss out. Because of CS Medical’s dedication to stopping the spread of HAIs, we will be hosting a virtual event in lieu of attending APIC’s Annual Conference.
After you remove your TEE probe from your TEEClean or TD 100 and you dry it off? Should you hang it up, put it in a case, or something else? And once stored, how long can probes stay high-level disinfected? Let’s go over the basics and understand what the best practices are for TEE probe storage.
At the forefront of every healthcare worker’s mind these days are all the new risks posed by COVID-19. It is easy to feel like COVID-19 is an insurmountable disease which requires a major shift in how we think about high-level disinfection.
In an effort to better serve our customers, CS Medical’s Service Department would like to announce the production of TD 100 Service Videos.
Our CS Medical team receives a lot questions regarding Annual Device Verification, so we’ve put together a list of some of the most common concerns and their responses:
Evidence has been presented that semi-critical devices, devices that come in contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin, such as endoscopes and endocavity probes, cause more healthcare associated infections than non-critical or critical medical devices...
According to HIPAA, ePHI is, “any protected health information that is created, stored, transmitted, or received in any electronic format or media.” Any medical device which retains this information can prove to be a weakness in your facility’s defense of patient ePHI...
Do we have any reason to believe our water is always safe for consumption? More importantly, do we know that our municipal water is safe for rinsing semi-critical devices, like TEE probes and endoscopes, so as to retain high-level disinfection status?
Organizing and implementing self-assessments may feel like an added pressure, but as everyone in the healthcare industry knows: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
There are at least three solid reasons for making the change to automation and propelling your healthcare facility into the future.
Too many facilities have no standardized way of storing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes. Some facilities have used transportation cases to store their TEE probes, but that is not their intended use and is actually prohibited in several countries.
When reprocessing TEE probes, the focus is on ensuring that the probe shaft is properly bedside cleaned, cleaned, and high-level disinfected. But what about the TEE probe handle and the cables?
Today, CS Medical announced a strategic partnership with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
The Joint Commission (TJC) has released its National Patient Safety Goals for 2020. According to TJC, these goals are developed in an effort to improve patient safety in hospitals in the coming year.
Let’s look at four HLDs commonly used to reprocess TEE ultrasound probes and find out what the risks are and how to mitigate them.
Give your staff the training they need so that they can give your patients the care they deserve.
When reprocessing TEE ultrasound probes, it is vital to perform electrical leakage testing after every single use. While the reasons for electrical leakage testing are numerous, there are three reasons that really stand out...
Companies which offered comprehensive training programs to their employees enjoy a 24% higher profit margin than those who spent less on training.
The Joint Commission (TJC) will score them based on the procedure they use to high-level disinfect TEE probes, many do not realize that proper storage is also on TJC’s audit checklist.
Are you prepared to provide records of every single cleaning, disinfection, and maintenance event for your TEE probes?
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) can save the day at your healthcare facility and even save lives.
A feature that can give users and healthcare facilities more confidence that they are providing patients with the highest level of care and security.
Material compatibility testing is what ensures the safety and longevity of practically every medical device on the market
This year, APIC’s 46th annual conference was held in Philadelphia, PA, from June 12-14.
When considering purchasing new equipment and putting new processes in place, healthcare facilities always have to consider whether these changes will save money.
When reprocessing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes, sometimes the numerous steps can feel overwhelming
Overlooking water quality can have serious repercussions for patients and healthcare facilities.
In recent years the development of single-use HLDs has introduced a new question: is single-use a better option than reusable?
When biofilm forms on a device, like a transesophageal echocardiogram ultrasound (TEE) probe, it is nearly impossible to remove and can endanger patient safety.
Occupational exposure poses a real risk to employees at healthcare facilities and must be properly addressed in order to keep everyone in good health.
Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) place a huge financial burden on facilities, can have enormous impacts on a provider’s reputation, and put financial and emotional strain on patients.
What do you do when your TEE ultrasound probe has broken? There are many complications that can result from an inadequate repair.
If a probe is not cleaned properly, it may result in biofilm developing on the probe, making disinfection difficult to achieve.
Since TEE Probes and Endoscopes can look alike, it can be easy to assume that they can be cleaned and disinfected in the same manner.
