AORN council addresses extended cycle concerns

Many medical facilities are faced with the issue of extended steam sterilization cycles for their surgical instruments (a cycle time longer than the traditional 4 minutes). The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Sterile Processing/Materials Management Specialty Assembly Coordinating Council has released a general statement on extended Cycles:

"Each medical facility needs to make sure that all of their products used for sterilization (peel pouches, wrap, etc.) can withstand theses longer steam sterilization cycles. Each medical facility needs to make sure that the products used in extended cycles are validated for these types of cycles. Many manufactures have tested their products for these longer cycles' times. The manufacture of the products should supply information to the user for their records."

This statement comes from the AORN Sterile Processing/Materials Management Specialty Assembly Coordinating Council: Chair - Rose Seavey, RN, MBA, CNOR, ACSP; Past Chair - Dottie Conroy, RN, BSN; Communication Chair - Wanda Elwell, RN, CNOR; Education Chair - Stephen Kovach; Professional/Practice Issues Chair - Martha Young, BS, MS; AORN CNP Staff Liaison - Ramona Conner, RN, MSN, CNOR; AORN Board Liaison - Deborah Spratt, RN, MPA, CNAA, CNOR; and AORN Staff Consultant - Debbie Stephen.

http://www.aorn.org/docs_assets/55B250E0-9779-5C0D-1DDC8177C9B4C8EB/0972C9ED-F6F7-6E32-CA50251F7599DCDB/Stmnt%20on%20Extended%20Cycles.doc