Reprocessing?!???

Would you want them used on yourself? Do your patients a favor and toss 'em out. Money can be safely saved by not opening disposables until needed.

This has started at another hospital in our city as well. I did read about this issue in the Surgical technologists magazine many months ago. My major concern is who takes liability if there is a problem with the refurbished item? I certainly don't think the original manufacturer would. Also, are these companies that refurbish non disposable items ok'd by any governing bodies such as JACHAO or FDA? What is AORN's stance? I sure wouldn't want to be in court over this issue.

Lonman

In the OR I work in all the nurses here, and we have only RN's working throughout the OR have been told that if they knowingly reuse a one off item then they and not the hospital will take full responsibility and can be sued. After all the hospital is doing nothing wrong technically by just re sterilizing items. Its the OR staff who open it to use it on a patient who is committing the offence. Think about it. THROW IT OUT!!!!

The only problem is, I could get written up if I throw something out that is on the approved reprocessing list. They claim that this company has been approved through the appropriate channels-we are supposed to put these items in a special container, they get sent to this company to be reprocessed and we get them back. Hopefully, enough docs will pitch hissy fits and this whole thing will resolve itself!

Good Evening all, yesterday my hospital had an AORN meeting and AAMI was the guess speakers. They are now repackaging used materals and it is safe. If you want more infor I would be happy to Fax what I have.

Manufacturers will not warranty reprocessed materials. However, it is the hospital that is taking on the liability. And I would be tempted to "accidentally" contaminate the reprocessed item.

I recently saw an article about this in my area. It was pretty scary; there was a microscopic photo of some of these instruments showing encrusted layers of tissue/ bacteria or other crud that had survived the processing. Yecch!

Please read the spirited exchange from other members on this very subject. There is also a discussion on the AHVAP website. Remember to think about stringent gov. regs and science. Leave your emotions on the platform this is a wild ride.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/re-sterilizing-off-pump-cabg-supplies-114768.html

Huck

The Veterans Administration has a nationwide ban on using reprocessed materials of any kind in all of it's hospitals. I can see how a total ban may be easier than deciding what is safe to reprocess and what is not. Both sides make good points in this thread and in Huck's link. This debate will go on and is sure to be addressed by JCAHO, AORN and HIPPA. I'll bet the VA model becomes the one adopted in spite of economic concerns.