Re: 'Sterile stock' storage?? - ACIPC - Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control

23/09/2021 at 10:50 pm #78509

Marija Juraja

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Marija Juraja

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marija.juraja@sa.gov.au

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living through accreditation this week (my nightmare) same issues!!!

We have scopes that are stored in a vented cupboard that have high level disinfection, yet the surveyor states we have to have them in a airdrying cupboard. The standard doesn’t state that for endoscopes, the GENCA guidelines do though (but they are a guide). We are in the start of major rebuild and in 3 years they will be in a pass through cupboard that meets all of GENCA guidelines! We test our scopes, and we also place an alcohol rinse through them before airdrying and storage hanging. We have a plan and have risk mitigated…I don’t think there is anything more we can spend our $$$ until we move.

I can’t wait until we actually have accredited Standard 3 credentialled ICP ( who truly understand the standard and all it entails) auditing the standard… my dream as a previous president and something I did try and follow through with ACHs.

Kind Regards

Marija Juraja
Nurse ConsultantCALHN Infection Prevention & Control Unit
Division of Acute Medicine (RN, GCNS Inf Ctrl, CICP)
m: 0410 567 385 |e:marija.juraja@sa.gov.au
________________________________

Hi Michael

The auditor is correct in that sterile storage for commercial sterile items has always been covered by ASNZS 4187 in the past but it seems to have got lost in the new 2014 edition .
ASNZS 4187 2003 Section 9.1.1 Sterile items states Sterile items shall be stored and handled in a manner that maintains the integrity of packs and prevents contamination from any source. This requirement applies equally to items sterilised in the health care facility AND to sterile items procured from commercial suppliers

We also know that sterile items need to be stored in a designated area so that rules out storage with unsterile items.

Sterile items can so easily be compromised if not in a DESIGNATED and restricted area
( so reduced traffic) with the correct ventilation and humidity etc. So as you know different storage is required for sterile items.
Unsterile items are so often not handled with care and are easily compromised. So we dont want them stored with sterile items.

Thanks
Robyn Lawson
OR Consulting Australia
roblily49@gmail.com
0408871624

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Ive just had my mind blown by an auditor who tells me I cannot store any sterile stock on a shelf with non-sterile stock. I reply by saying that no sterile RMDs are stored on shelves with non-sterile stock, and they say, no ANYTHING that comes sterile should not be on the same shelf with something non-sterile.

Have I missed something? I have always understand that the very specific storage requirements for RMDs did not apply to most commercially sterilised single use items. Sure, there are commercially sterilised disposables that have very specific storage requirements, but the majority of high volume disposable sterile goods can be safely stored on a shelf with non-sterile stock in an appropriately air-conditioned storage room. AS4187 does not cover storage of non-RMDs, correct?

Can someone either tell me I am wrong, and I missed this big time, or that I did not miss anything, and the auditor is incorrect. Or some variation of these.

Help?

Thanks

Michael

Michael Wishart | Infection Control Coordinator, CICP-E

St Vincents Private Hospital Northside | 627 Rode Road CHERMSIDE QLD 4032

M +61 448 954 282 | T +61 7 3326 3068 | F +61 7 3607 2226

E michael.wishart@svha.org.au |

W https://www.svphn.org.au

St Vincents Private Hospital Brisbane | 411 Main Street KANGAROO POINT QLD 4169
M +61 448 954 282 | T +61 7 3240 1208 | F +61 7 3240 1166
E michael.wishart@svha.org.au |

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