Properly cleaning and caring for TEE ultrasound probes is a monumental task. For those who handle these devices daily, it is possible to lose sight of the importance of what they do when they reprocess a TEE probe. Associated with this responsibility are significant hazards.
We’ve all been there. Looking at a food item that has technically expired according to the label, but looks and smells fresh. It’s easy and typically safe to ignore the label and just eat the food. But is it safe to use enzymatic cleaners or high-level disinfectants after they have expired?
What is the FDA and what does it even mean to say that a product has been cleared for use by the FDA and how is such clearance obtained?
How much goes into reprocessing a simple TEE probe, anyway? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a PDF outlining everything you need to know about disinfection and sterilization.
Cleaning a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probe is vital to achieving high-level disinfection.
Now that surveys have resumed, it is important to know what has changed in the survey process and how you can be better prepared. The survey process looks "somewhat different" according to TJC.
In this age of instant information at our fingertips, technologies that retain all information on a patient procedure and make it easily transportable via thumb drive are very attractive. But are they compliant with laws and standards set by HIPAA and by accrediting agencies, like TJC?
When you’re considering purchasing an automated TEE ultrasound probe reprocessor for your facility. At CS Medical, we recognize that every facility has different preferences and needs, so we provide several state of the art options to take into consideration:
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.
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.”
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.
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:
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?
There are at least three solid reasons for making the change to automation and propelling your healthcare facility into the future.
Are you prepared to provide records of every single cleaning, disinfection, and maintenance event for your TEE probes?
A feature that can give users and healthcare facilities more confidence that they are providing patients with the highest level of care and security.
This year, APIC’s 46th annual conference was held in Philadelphia, PA, from June 12-14.
When reprocessing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes, sometimes the numerous steps can feel overwhelming
