by
Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter | February 02, 2017
Device failures caused by cleaning products and practices
Another costly hazard is medical device failure due to the use of incompatible cleaning products. To date, hospitals have lost tens of thousands of dollars from this.
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An improper cleaner can damage seals, degrade equipment surfaces and cause fluid intrusion. At one hospital, a couple of cracks appeared on a surgical arm and then they spread until the machine eventually crumbled apart.
Jaime Schlorff talking about the harm
of incompatible cleaning products
“The hospital said it looked like someone took a hammer and broke the parts,” said Jaime Schlorff, senior project officer of the Health Devices Group at ECRI. “You don’t see plastic degrading before your eyes. It starts small and you don’t realize it’s happening until it’s too late.”
Manufacturers are working closely with ECRI to issue alerts to customers. The main challenge is that there are 286 manufacturers that offer medical device cleaning products.
There is no single cleaner that will work on all devices, so hospitals have to stock up on multiple cleaning products and educate the staff on the proper cleaning methods. It’s a laborious task, but not doing so can lead to costly device failures.
“Hospitals aren’t always aware of this and that’s where we come in,” said Schlorff.
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