AORN Journal
Volume 83, Issue 3 , Page 672, March 2006

Evaluating Use of Flash Sterilization in the OR With Regard to Postoperative Infections

  • Yukiko Leonard, RN

      Affiliations

    • Yukiko Leonard, RN, BSN, CNOR, is an RN fist assistant and OR staff nurse at Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, Va.
    • ,
  • Karen Gabel Speroni, RN

      Affiliations

    • Karen Gabel Speroni, RN, BSN, MHSA, PhD, is the nursing research director at Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, Va.
    • ,
  • Martin Atherton

      Affiliations

    • Martin Atherton, DrPH, is an assistant professor at George Mason University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Fairfax, Va.
    • ,
  • Joy Corriher, RN

      Affiliations

    • Joy Corriher, RN, MSN, MPH, CNAA, BC, is vice president, Patient Care Services at Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, Va.

ABSTRACT 

•THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES a quality improvement project that examined postoperative infection rates for 100 surgical procedures in which a total of 121 flash sterilizations were performed and determined the costs of treating the postoperative infections compared to the cost of purchasing additional instruments.

•THE POSTOPERATIVE INFECTION rate on physical examination was 3%, and the overall cost of diagnosing and treating the postoperative infections was found to be lower than the cost of purchasing additional instruments.

•TO MINIMIZE USE of flash sterilization, the hospital has added additional surgical instrument inventory and expanded flash sterilization education requirements for staff members. AORN J 83 (March 2006) 672–680.

 

 The authors thank the RNs and OR staff members at Inova Loudoun Hospital who participated in this project.

PII: S0001-2092(06)60195-6

doi:10.1016/S0001-2092(06)60195-6

AORN Journal
Volume 83, Issue 3 , Page 672, March 2006

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