3M Health Care today announced the launch of a new web site (www.3M.com/everyloadmonitoring), designed to provide objective data and key educational information to sterilization professionals. Focused on the issue of every load monitoring with biological indicators, the new web site provides compelling reasons why sterile processing and infection control leaders should consider this best practice to provide their patients with the highest standard of care.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are approximately 1.7 million health care-associated infections (HAI) and approximately 99,000 associated deaths each year1. Reducing a variable that can contribute to HAIs is one of many reasons for hospitals to consider every load monitoring.
In addition to contributing to the fight against HAIs, every load monitoring can also help address the breadth and depth of load recalls, as well as help sterilization professionals proactively address the upcoming changes in reporting and reimbursement related to HAIs.
“The Every Load Monitoring site is an excellent source of data. We have provided first-hand best practices from central sterilization managers on why they adopted every load monitoring and the benefits it has yielded,” said Andrew Flaherty, global marketing manager, 3M Health Care. “Additionally, there is a section on understanding biological indicators and why they are the only true measure of sterilization process lethality.”
According to Dorothy Larson, Technical Services, 3M Sterilization Assurance, facilities are adopting every load monitoring for a multitude of reasons. “From my recent visits and interactions with facilities, the reasons for adopting every load monitoring range from having one consistent standard for patient care to standardizing across all loads, including implant loads, to minimize variation. In addition, facilities that have experienced the breadth and depth of a recall realize the potential benefits of every load monitoring. By addressing these issues among others, many facilities are taking standard practice to best practice by implementing every load monitoring.”
About 3M Sterilization Assurance
With over 40 years of providing sterilization solutions, 3M Sterilization Assurance is a trusted choice for sterilization professionals. 3M Sterilization Assurance, a part of 3M Health Care’s infection prevention platform, offers well known products including 3M™ Attest™ Rapid Readout Biological Indicators, 3M™ Comply™ SteriGage™ Chemical Integrators, and 3M™ Steri-Vac™ Sterilization Equipment to the health care market.
About 3M Health Care
Since inventing Ioban™ antimicrobial incise surgical drapes more than 30 years ago, 3M has been a worldwide leader in developing health care products and services that address infection control. 3M Health Care, one of 3M’s six major business segments, is dedicated to improving the practice, delivery and outcome of patient care and is a leading provider of solutions for medical, oral care, drug delivery and health information markets.
3M, Attest, Comply, SteriGage, Steri-Vac and Ioban are trademarks of 3M.
1 Klevens RA, et al. Estimating Health Care Associated Infections in U.S. Hospitals, 2002. CDC Public Health Reports 2007; 122: 160-166.
3MStephanie Sanderson, 651-733-8588sjsanderson@mmm.com
