Sterile flow times for surgical instruments

An important concept in relation to the quality of the CSSD work is sterile flow times, where 24 hours is the upper limit for how long it may take to reprocess an instrument. Different definitions of start and finish points for sterile flow are used. However often flow times are measured from check in in the CSSD to check out of the CSSD. In relation to centralization of CSSD’s with longer transport of instruments between OR to CSSD knowledge of the entire sterile flow times from when the instrument is used in the OR until it is ready to be used again in the OR is needed.

At Aalborg University Hospital registration, or parts of this registration, has become possible with T-Doc. Today we have data on sterile flow from the instrument is checked into the CSSD until it has been processed and leaves the CSSD again.

The aim of this study is to combine data from T-Doc with data from the Safe Surgery package, where knife start, and knife end are registered. In addition, to register the time from check out of the CSSD until it is checked in at the OR.