Decades ago, medical instruments were almost exclusively made of steel and glass. Cleaning these devices was simple, and sterilization required little more than a heavy shot of steam. Now modern surgical instruments require deep and complex disinfection and sterilization processes to prevent patient harm. The challenge of proper sterilization is made worse by busy central sterile processing units which can see as many as 40,000 devices each day, according to the report.
The analysis also points to recent events when poorly or unsterilized surgical equipment led to a large breakout of infections. For example, in 2009 the Department of Veterans Affairs admitted that more than 10,000 veterans were given endoscopies or colonoscopies with endoscopes that may have been improperly cleaned between patient procedures. Some of them later tested positive for HIV, hepatitis C or hepatitis B.
To read the Center for Public Integrity’s analysis in full, click here.
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