Infections. One of the most common and delicate issues that medical facilities like yours have to face on a daily basis. This was the case of a New Jersey Surgery Center in Saddle Brook, which, according to CNN (news network), went through an inspection report in 2018 where it was discovered there was potential patient exposure to cross-infection and bloodborne diseases. The center had to send out around 3,000 letters warning patients who received a procedure between January and September 2018. The Surgery Center is required to defend a class-action lawsuit filed in Bergen County Superior Court. One of the plaintiffs underwent a pain management procedure at the center in April 2018 and is now struggling with hepatitis and suffering from emotional trauma due to the exposure and life-changing condition.
So, what was it that led this Surgery center to expose their patients to cross-infection and bloodborne diseases? You probably guessed it right: Inadequately sterilized medical instruments. An investigation from the New Jersey Department of Health found that employees at the Surgery Center were not following sterilization procedures, and medical instruments were not being cleaned properly, potentially exposing patients to diseases transmitted through blood including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
Medical Practice closed due to Covid-19
There are many ways to avoid transmitting infections among your patients and workers at your medical practice and, even though some might be more effective than others, all of them are equally important. In this blog article, we will cover one of the most urgent, but also easiest and safest ways you can control infection spreading starting today: Join the new technology in medicine and replace reusable medical devices for safe single-use ones.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “a single-use device, also referred to as a disposable device, [is] intended for use on one patient during a single procedure. It is not intended to be reprocessed (cleaned, disinfected/sterilized) and used on another patient. The labeling may or may not identify the device as single-use or disposable and does not include instructions for reprocessing.”
Single-use medical devices have gained an important place in the healthcare industry, not only because of their affordable price but also because it ensures that each patient has their own device to be tested or treated with during a medical procedure, eradicating infections with 100% effectiveness. After the global sanitary emergency during the 2020 covid19 pandemic, many healthcare professionals have chosen to join the single-use generation of medical devices getting rid of extra headaches of dealing with patients suffering infections caused by poorly disinfected (metal or glass-made) medical devices. They have also found disposable medical tools to be a safe and affordable solution to the infection spreading.
As we had previously mentioned in our blog article “Are you or your medical practice in Jeopardy? Learn why this could be (PART 2)”, Healthcare professionals are required to consider and use safer medical devices every time. If you find, during your annual review of devices, a safer option for a medical device you need, you must adopt it and document this fact in your written Exposure Control Plan. If any given circumstance occurs in your medical practice and a wound takes place with an infection or bloodborne disease resulting from the contact with the medical device, the patient may be entitled to compensation for their damages and you or your medical practice could be at fault, with varying amounts depending on the cost of treatment for the injuries or conditions, loss of income and/or future loss or reduction of income among others.
In conclusion, due to the healthcare industry’s evolution, the pandemic context, and the frequent exposure to bloodborne diseases at medical practices, disposable medical devices are becoming one of the best options for medical providers to avoid spreading infections within their facilities. Join the new generation and stop infection transmission in your practice.
In NAD Pinwheel, we offer chiropractors, neurologists, and other medical practitioners (who work with diagnosing nerve damage after an accident or surgery), a safer and more effective alternative to make their diagnosis faster and with the certainty of not transmitting any infections or diseases. Get your Wartenberg neuro pinwheels now here!