Are You Aligned with ANSI/AAMI ST108?— What You Need to Know About Water Management for Sterile Processing

Description:

Published in the Fall 2023, ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023 provides new and updated guidance on managing water quality in sterile processing— placing particular emphasis on a multidisciplinary team, risk management, and revised water quality specifications that adds steam alongside critical and utility water. Surgeries, the key revenue generation of any hospital, rely on safe and efficient sterile processing operations to cycle instrumentation effectively. Sterile processing departments, in turn, rely on water for almost every step: utility water for rinsing, critical water for high-purity washing, and steam for sterilization. With many groups (such as sterile processing, facilities management, infection prevention, clinical/biomedical engineering, and equipment vendors) involved, it is essential to have a defined program for managing these water systems to know what your team needs to do proactively with a data-driven mindset to avoid unnecessary and potentially costly changes to your operations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of managing water in sterile processing

2. Review the updated guidance of ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023 for sterile processing

3. Assess water usage, water treatment equipment and how to identify necessary controls, control ranges and monitoring.

4. Evaluate The proper locations and frequency of validating the performance of your water management program.