Home › Forums › Infexion Connexion › Cleaning products and damage to plastics in ward based shared equipment/devices
- This topic has 3 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 4 months ago by
Glenys Harrington.
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AuthorPosts
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14/04/2021 at 3:44 pm #77911
Hi Everyone,
We are currently reviewing the clinical equipment cleaning processes used at our health service as there is a lot of variation of practice between wards/people, and with products used compared with those recommended in the IFU. However, the main reason we are reviewing this is due to having a significant number of items turning up at our engineering dept with stress cracking in the plastics.Has anyone previously investigated environmental stress cracking in plastics of clinical equipment at your organisation?
If yes, are you able to share with me your findings and whether it was able to be attributed to a particular reason?What do you recommend for cleaning products in ward settings (e.g. IV pumps, commodes, weigh chairs, obs machines etc.)? In particular:
* Do you direct staff to use only 1-2 products to make it easy to know which one to use for which circumstance (clinical vs environmental OR clinician vs cleaner) ?
* Or do you specify a particular product for each individual item or group of items as per the IFU?
* If you go against the IFU recommendations, what process did you go through to decide on the chosen product?Looking forward to hearing from everyone’s experiences.
Kind regards
Kate Ryan
RMD Program Officer
[logo_austin]
0434 609 208 | 03 9496 6706
Infectious Diseases Department
Level 7, Harold Stokes Building
145 Studley Road, Heidelberg
PO Box 5555, Victoria, 3084
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14/04/2021 at 4:06 pm #77912Anonymous
InactiveAuthor:
AnonymousPosition:
Organisation:
State:
Hi Kate,
The TGA published on this issue back in May 2017 – this is the link to the issue of the Medical Devices Safety Update where is was discussed https://www.tga.gov.au/publication-issue/medical-devices-safety-update-volume-5-number-3-may-2017#a2
In short they found that products that contained quaternary ammonium compounds were implicated in causing damages to some plastics, particularly polycarbonate materials. They also noted that benzalkonium chloride at concentrations >10% is unsafe for use. They also recommended that staff be educated between the difference of wet and damp cloths and that manufacturer’s IFU should be followed with respect to the product used.
The VMIA also published on this topic – link here https://www.vmia.vic.gov.au/tools-and-insights/risk-alerts/risk-alert1
Kind Regards
Terry McAuley
Director
MSc Medical Device DecontaminationPO BOX 2249, Greenvale VIC Australia 3059
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Hi Everyone,
We are currently reviewing the clinical equipment cleaning processes used at our health service as there is a lot of variation of practice between wards/people, and with products used compared with those recommended in the IFU. However, the main reason we are reviewing this is due to having a significant number of items turning up at our engineering dept with stress cracking in the plastics.Has anyone previously investigated environmental stress cracking in plastics of clinical equipment at your organisation?
If yes, are you able to share with me your findings and whether it was able to be attributed to a particular reason?What do you recommend for cleaning products in ward settings (e.g. IV pumps, commodes, weigh chairs, obs machines etc.)? In particular:
* Do you direct staff to use only 1-2 products to make it easy to know which one to use for which circumstance (clinical vs environmental OR clinician vs cleaner) ?
* Or do you specify a particular product for each individual item or group of items as per the IFU?* If you go against the IFU recommendations, what process did you go through to decide on the chosen product?
Looking forward to hearing from everyone’s experiences.Kind regards
Kate Ryan
RMD Program Officer
[logo_austin]
0434 609 208 | 03 9496 6706
Infectious Diseases Department
Level 7, Harold Stokes Building
145 Studley Road, Heidelberg
PO Box 5555, Victoria, 3084
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.
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15/04/2021 at 5:01 pm #77919Vanessa Sparke
ParticipantAuthor:
Vanessa SparkePosition:
Senior Lecturer Nursing And Midwifery, Course Coordinator Graduate Certificate Infection Control James Cook University Cairns James Cook UniversityOrganisation:
James Cook UniversityState:
Hi Kate, I cant really answer your questions however I have been
involved with the roll out of the GP respiratory clinics, and now
vaccination clinics for the Dept of Health. We have undertaken initial
IP&C auditing and then follow-up auditing (at about 6 months) and the
feedback I am getting is that the products approved by TGA as being
virucidal (Viruclean, bleach etc) have destroyed keyboards, iPads,
thermometers and other electronic devices through the degradation of the
plastic casings. As the GP clinics are cleaning touch points after very
patient encounter these are being wiped over between 2 and 50 times a
day (depending on how many COVID tests they are doing).Just more evidence that it happens!
Vanessa Sparke
Lecturer – Nursing and Midwifery
James Cook University, Cairns Campus
Building A2, room 137.1
E: vanessa.sparke1@jcu.edu.au
P: 61 7 42321531—— Original Message ——
plastics in ward based shared equipment/devicesHi Everyone,
We are currently reviewing the clinical equipment cleaning processes
used at our health service as there is a lot of variation of practice
between wards/people, and with products used compared with those
recommended in the IFU. However, the main reason we are reviewing this
is due to having a significant number of items turning up at our
engineering dept with stress cracking in the plastics.Has anyone previously investigated environmental stress cracking in
plastics of clinical equipment at your organisation?If yes, are you able to share with me your findings and whether it was
able to be attributed to a particular reason?What do you recommend for cleaning products in ward settings (e.g. IV
pumps, commodes, weigh chairs, obs machines etc.)? In particular:* Do you direct staff to use only 1-2 products to make it easy to
know which one to use for which circumstance (clinical vs environmental
OR clinician vs cleaner) ?
* Or do you specify a particular product for each individual item or
group of items as per the IFU?
* If you go against the IFU recommendations, what process did you
go through to decide on the chosen product?Looking forward to hearing from everyone’s experiences.
Kind regards
Kate Ryan
RMD Program Officer
logo_austin
0434 609 208 | 03 9496 6706
Infectious Diseases Department
Level 7, Harold Stokes Building
145 Studley Road, Heidelberg
PO Box 5555, Victoria, 3084MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR,AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is
discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to
products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this
outside the list.
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http://aicalist.org.au/archives –
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acipclist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.auMESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.
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15/04/2021 at 5:45 pm #77920Anonymous
InactiveAuthor:
AnonymousPosition:
Organisation:
State:
Hi Kate, most companies have been sending these notifications out as Recalls, the Austin have access to our IFU Library, and if you search up specific devices by make and model, you should able to find any of the associated recalls within the database; I have attached 2 examples.
The Recall systems worldwide are also used as risk mitigation tools by manufacturers, and tracking this type of information can be a nightmare. We believe that transparent access to Recalls by equipment users ( I am not referring to Recalls which involve disposables that can be removed from hospitals ) is the best option to empower professionals to do the right thing.
Its also worth noting that many of these recalls are not limited to a specific make if you look at a lot of the historical information related to beds and hoists – many of the injuries were as a result of similar use or engineering issues.
With the amount of cleaning which has occurred over the last few months, the trend will be the same I have no doubt
Regards
George Koning
CEO
BioClinical Services
MOB 0437810269
https://www.bioclinicalservices.com.au/MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
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16/04/2021 at 9:24 am #77921Glenys Harrington
ParticipantAuthor:
Glenys HarringtonPosition:
ConsultantOrganisation:
Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)State:
Hi Kate,
You might want to check with the manufacturer/supplier if the disinfectant
needs to be wiped off equipment periodically.This advice has been provided to some facilities that have experienced the
same/similar issue/problems however it is not included in the manufacturer’s
instructions for use.Suggest you request a response on company letterhead for your hospital
insurers.Regards
Glenys
Glenys Harrington
Consultant
Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)
P.O. Box 6385
Melbourne
Australia, 3004
M: +61 404816434
Kate
in ward based shared equipment/devicesHi Everyone,
We are currently reviewing the clinical equipment cleaning processes used at
our health service as there is a lot of variation of practice between
wards/people, and with products used compared with those recommended in the
IFU. However, the main reason we are reviewing this is due to having a
significant number of items turning up at our engineering dept with stress
cracking in the plastics.Has anyone previously investigated environmental stress cracking in plastics
of clinical equipment at your organisation?If yes, are you able to share with me your findings and whether it was able
to be attributed to a particular reason?What do you recommend for cleaning products in ward settings (e.g. IV pumps,
commodes, weigh chairs, obs machines etc.)? In particular:*Do you direct staff to use only 1-2 products to make it easy to know
which one to use for which circumstance (clinical vs environmental OR
clinician vs cleaner) ?
*Or do you specify a particular product for each individual item or
group of items as per the IFU?*If you go against the IFU recommendations, what process did you go
through to decide on the chosen product?Looking forward to hearing from everyone’s experiences.
Kind regards
Kate Ryan
RMD Program Officer
0434 609 208 | 03 9496 6706
Infectious Diseases Department
Level 7, Harold Stokes Building
145 Studley Road, Heidelberg
PO Box 5555, Victoria, 3084
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO
NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is
discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products
or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives –
registration and login required.Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new
message send an email to acipclist@acipc.org.auTo send a message to the list administrator send an email to
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(without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.auMESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.
Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.
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