Diane Sheets

According to Diane Sheets, sterile processing manager at Methodist Hospital, this ,just-in-time' sterile sterilisation process required considerable advance planning, as the entire process took 15,18 minutes. ,When a battery was needed, an OR staff member entered the inner core area and placed the battery in the steriliser,' she says. ,When the sterilisation cycle was complete, the OR staff member returned to retrieve it.
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,We were very pleased with STERRAD's short cycle time and quick turnaround of instruments,' says Sheets.Surgical staff were also pleased.Equally importantly, there was no damage to the batteries, thanks to the system's dry, low-temperature process.The charge was stronger and lasted longer, battery use was greatly increased, and battery inventory could be reduced.The annual cost saving was around $17,000.

Another important benefit of the STERRAD System was greatly increased efficiency.Sheets explains that the hospital can cut down on the number of batteries staff have on hand because the batteries hold a charge a lot longer, they no longer have to send a sterile person into the core area of a flash steriliser to retrieve the batteries , raising the risk of contamination , and they do not have to wait for batteries to cool down, as they are no longer heated.

Satisfying results

Everyone at the hospital agrees that the new system is a big improvement, and in September 2003 the hospital switched to sterilising all its batteries using the STERRAD System.Sheets says that three STERRAD Systems have had a significant, positive impact at Methodist Hospital. ,The systems are hard working, processing around 20 loads each day, seven days a week,' she says. ,And the rewards associated with them are tremendous.