In the fall of 2007 OSHA released a Web site that provides step-by-step guidance, along with the requirements and educational resources managers need to ensure occupational safety.Please click on the link below for this tool and more information.
http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/health_care/index_hc.html
e martë, 19 shkurt 2008
e martë, 5 shkurt 2008
Fingernails and Infection
Outpatient Surgery E-Weekly (2/5/08) has reported about a study that is published in the January issue of the Journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology that found that although antibiotic gels help increase hand hygiene, they failed to reduce infection rates in two ICUs over a two-year period.
"Hand hygiene may be important, but it's only one ingredient in the overall recipe for preventing infection," says Mark Rupp, MD, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, medical director of the school's Department of Healthcare Epideminology and the study's principal author.
Exactly why the infection rates did not decrease when hand hygiene compliance increased is unknown, says Dr. Rupp. One theory has to do with fingernail length. They found more, and varied, microbes when the nurses had fingernails more than two millimeters long, wore rings or lacked access to hand gels. According to Dr. Rupp, fingernails are too long for healthcare if you can see them over the skin of your fingers when looking at your palm.
To read more on this topic please go to the link below.
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/524333
"Hand hygiene may be important, but it's only one ingredient in the overall recipe for preventing infection," says Mark Rupp, MD, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, medical director of the school's Department of Healthcare Epideminology and the study's principal author.
Exactly why the infection rates did not decrease when hand hygiene compliance increased is unknown, says Dr. Rupp. One theory has to do with fingernail length. They found more, and varied, microbes when the nurses had fingernails more than two millimeters long, wore rings or lacked access to hand gels. According to Dr. Rupp, fingernails are too long for healthcare if you can see them over the skin of your fingers when looking at your palm.
To read more on this topic please go to the link below.
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/524333
e mërkurë, 16 janar 2008
FDA Public Health Notification: Unretrieved Device Fragments
Issued: January 15, 2008
Dear Healthcare Practitioner:
This is to advise you of serious adverse events associated with unretrieved device fragments (UDFs) and provide recommendations to mitigate these events. A UDF is a fragment of a medical device that has separated unintentionally and remains in the patient after a procedure. Patients may not be aware that this has occurred. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) receives nearly 1000 adverse event reports each year related to UDFs. These have included more than 200 different medical devices and numerous medical specialties.
To read the complete report please go to this link :
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/safety/011508-udf.html
Dear Healthcare Practitioner:
This is to advise you of serious adverse events associated with unretrieved device fragments (UDFs) and provide recommendations to mitigate these events. A UDF is a fragment of a medical device that has separated unintentionally and remains in the patient after a procedure. Patients may not be aware that this has occurred. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) receives nearly 1000 adverse event reports each year related to UDFs. These have included more than 200 different medical devices and numerous medical specialties.
To read the complete report please go to this link :
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/safety/011508-udf.html
e martë, 8 janar 2008
Avoiding Hazards from Using Cleaners and Disinfectants on Electronic Medical Equipment
FDA, CDC, EPA and OSHA have issued a Public Health Notification on how to avoid hazards when using liquid cleaners and disinfectants on electronic medical equipment. The Notification covers a wide range of equipment, including infusion pumps, ventilators, analgesia pumps, computer workstations and monitoring equipment.
This action was prompted by reports of fires and other equipment damage, as well as burns to healthcare workers, when these types of liquids were used inappropriately on equipment that has unsealed electrical circuits. In many cases, healthcare workers routinely sprayed the equipment with disinfectants or wrapped the housings with disinfectant-soaked towels, causing damage to the circuitry.
The Notification provides a number of recommendations to reduce the risk. Here are some of the highlights:
• Protect equipment from contamination during use, which can help avoid the need for disinfection.
• If equipment becomes contaminated, remove it from use and be sure it's serviced before returning it to use.
• Clean equipment surfaces according to the instructions from both the equipment manufacturer and the chemical manufacturer.
Additional Information:
FDA MedWatch Safety Alert. Cleaners and Disinfectants: Hazards of Excess Use on Electronic Medical Equipment. November 1, 2007.
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#Cleaners
This action was prompted by reports of fires and other equipment damage, as well as burns to healthcare workers, when these types of liquids were used inappropriately on equipment that has unsealed electrical circuits. In many cases, healthcare workers routinely sprayed the equipment with disinfectants or wrapped the housings with disinfectant-soaked towels, causing damage to the circuitry.
The Notification provides a number of recommendations to reduce the risk. Here are some of the highlights:
• Protect equipment from contamination during use, which can help avoid the need for disinfection.
• If equipment becomes contaminated, remove it from use and be sure it's serviced before returning it to use.
• Clean equipment surfaces according to the instructions from both the equipment manufacturer and the chemical manufacturer.
Additional Information:
FDA MedWatch Safety Alert. Cleaners and Disinfectants: Hazards of Excess Use on Electronic Medical Equipment. November 1, 2007.
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#Cleaners
e hënë, 7 janar 2008
Ireland Issues Guideline on Device Reprocessing
Ireland Issues Guideline on Device Reprocessing
Ireland’s Health Service Executive has released a practice guideline on decontamination of reusable invasive medical devices (RIMDs).
The new code of practice sets standards and best practices for facilities operating within Ireland’s public health system.
“Decontamination facilities should be designed, constructed, maintained and controlled to provide effective segregation of clean and dirty activities and to provide an environment that minimizes contamination of clean and disinfected RIMD,” the guideline says.
The seven-part guideline includes sections on recommended practices for central decontamination units, endoscopy units and dental services, as well as an audit prototype for evaluating decontamination procedures.
The guideline, “Code of Practice for Decontamination of Reusable Invasive Medical Devices,” can be viewed at:
www.hse.ie/en/Publications/HSEPublicationsNew/AcuteHospitalReportsGuidelines/#d.en.8696.
Ireland’s Health Service Executive has released a practice guideline on decontamination of reusable invasive medical devices (RIMDs).
The new code of practice sets standards and best practices for facilities operating within Ireland’s public health system.
“Decontamination facilities should be designed, constructed, maintained and controlled to provide effective segregation of clean and dirty activities and to provide an environment that minimizes contamination of clean and disinfected RIMD,” the guideline says.
The seven-part guideline includes sections on recommended practices for central decontamination units, endoscopy units and dental services, as well as an audit prototype for evaluating decontamination procedures.
The guideline, “Code of Practice for Decontamination of Reusable Invasive Medical Devices,” can be viewed at:
www.hse.ie/en/Publications/HSEPublicationsNew/AcuteHospitalReportsGuidelines/#d.en.8696.
e premte, 14 dhjetor 2007
Patient and User Burns from Rotary Surgical Handpieces
HPN in their daily news update on 12/13/07 have reported that the FDA has issued an alert about serious patient injuries, including third degree burns, associated with the use of poorly maintained electric dental handpieces, and to recommend specific actions to prevent or minimize the problem. While this notification is directed to dental health professionals, the following information may be useful to all users of electric handpieces.
Patients have been severely burned when poorly maintained electric dental handpieces were used during dental procedures. Some patients had third degree burns which required plastic surgery. Burns may not be apparent to the operator or the patient until after the tissue damage has been done, because the anesthetized patient cannot feel the tissue burning and the handpiece housing insulates the operator from the heated attachment. Although the reported burns have occurred during cutting of tooth and bone, tooth extraction and other dental surgical procedures, overheating could occur during any dental procedure. Note that this problem is not limited to dentistry. Rotary surgical handpieces can cause patient burns during orthopedic procedures, as reported in the July 2003 edition of FDA Patient Safety News.
Please go to this FDA link for more detailed information on this subject.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/psn/show17-burns.html
Patients have been severely burned when poorly maintained electric dental handpieces were used during dental procedures. Some patients had third degree burns which required plastic surgery. Burns may not be apparent to the operator or the patient until after the tissue damage has been done, because the anesthetized patient cannot feel the tissue burning and the handpiece housing insulates the operator from the heated attachment. Although the reported burns have occurred during cutting of tooth and bone, tooth extraction and other dental surgical procedures, overheating could occur during any dental procedure. Note that this problem is not limited to dentistry. Rotary surgical handpieces can cause patient burns during orthopedic procedures, as reported in the July 2003 edition of FDA Patient Safety News.
Please go to this FDA link for more detailed information on this subject.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/psn/show17-burns.html
e hënë, 26 nëntor 2007
AORN Specialty Assembly for SP/MM News
The AORN Specialty Assembly for SP/MM has released a statement titled "Dancing with the Stars" on their web page concerning how this group interacts with other organizations. Hospital professionals can go to the AORN homepage (www.aorn.org) to view the statementor click on the link below to read the statement.
http://www.cpdguy.net/index.php?s=100&PHPSESSID=a56aee61bcfb545a50adbe75ed709f37
http://www.cpdguy.net/index.php?s=100&PHPSESSID=a56aee61bcfb545a50adbe75ed709f37
e premte, 9 nëntor 2007
FDA and New Requirements for Tracking Medical Devices
Tracking Requirements Relaxed Under FDAAA
Medical devicemakers will be subject to fewer tracking requirements under H.R. 3580, the FDA Amendments Act (FDAAA).
Previously, devicemakers were required to track certain higher-risk devices even if the FDA did not issue a specific order to track a device. Under the new law, tracking will apply only if the FDA issues an order, according to a revised guidance document.
The agency may require tracking for a Class II or III device:
That is a life-sustaining or life-supporting device used outside a device user facility;
That is intended to be implanted in the human body for more than one year; or
Whose failure would be reasonably likely to have serious adverse health consequences.
Tracking methods are subject to FDA inspection, which may include a review of the tracking system and verification of information requirements. Medical device tracking is intended to ensure that manufacturers can promptly identify product distribution information and remove a device from the market in the event of a recall.
This information was posted on the FDA Daily News itmes;Vol.4,No.221,Friday,Nov.9, 2007
http://www.fda.gov
Medical devicemakers will be subject to fewer tracking requirements under H.R. 3580, the FDA Amendments Act (FDAAA).
Previously, devicemakers were required to track certain higher-risk devices even if the FDA did not issue a specific order to track a device. Under the new law, tracking will apply only if the FDA issues an order, according to a revised guidance document.
The agency may require tracking for a Class II or III device:
That is a life-sustaining or life-supporting device used outside a device user facility;
That is intended to be implanted in the human body for more than one year; or
Whose failure would be reasonably likely to have serious adverse health consequences.
Tracking methods are subject to FDA inspection, which may include a review of the tracking system and verification of information requirements. Medical device tracking is intended to ensure that manufacturers can promptly identify product distribution information and remove a device from the market in the event of a recall.
This information was posted on the FDA Daily News itmes;Vol.4,No.221,Friday,Nov.9, 2007
http://www.fda.gov
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