IFU’s and The Sterile Technicians Responsibility

Guide to writing exemplars
November 2, 2017
Photos Dunedin 2017
January 18, 2018

This week there has been a flurry of emails doing the rounds in regards to Non-sterile implants e.g. plates and screws and whether they can or cannot be reprocessed and how often they can be reprocessed.
It is important that each and every sterile technician from manager down to trainee is able to access IFU’s in hard copy or on line and understand the implications of the instructions.
Some of the executive team have been looking further into this and as an national body we shall work on an official statement to help guide your practice, once we receive more information from supplying companies.
In the meantime please all look at your IFU’s. Those IFU’s from Zimmer,Biomet, Stryker and others basically recommend reprocessing through a washer and steriliser using a process validated by the health care facility. The instructions for J&J,DePuy Synthes direct the user to the website https://emea.depuysynthes.com/hcp/reprocessing-care-maintenance with 20 pages of instructions.On page nine(9) of the document there are instructions for the processing of Non-sterile Synthes Implants.The most concerning part relates to the the processing and transport of the implants. As it is written it has major implications for us all.
I have been in contact with Synthes and they are looking into this for the NZSSA and are aware that I am informing members via the website.