Surgical site infections (SSI) are always a concern in the operating room (OR). When cutting into a patient’s skin to operate, they’re at risk of developing minor or fatal skin infections.
By using disposable medical devices, you can reduce surgical site infections significantly. Let’s take a deep dive into SSIs and how to prevent them with single-use medical devices.
Explaining Surgical Site Infections
According to a study released by the National Library of Medicine, SSIs contribute substantially to surgical morbidity and mortality every year. The study shows that SSIs account for 15% of all nosocomial infections, making them the most common type of infection among surgical patients. SSIs lead to extended postoperative hospital stays and adverse health outcomes.
SSI Patient Safety Concerns
After any surgery, there’s a wide range of SSI patient safety concerns to look out for, including:
- Increased pain or tenderness near or at the incision site
- Puffiness near the incision site
- Cloudy or foul-smelling discharge from the incision
- Stitches that dissolve before the wound heals
- Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher
While SSI patient safety concerns relate to any patient who has undergone a surgical procedure, some individuals have a higher risk of developing an SSI, including:
- Smokers
- Obese patients
- Patients with autoimmune diseases
- Elderly patients
Choosing Between Reusable or Disposable Medical Devices for Surgeries
Healthcare facilities are faced with a difficult decision—to choose either a reusable or disposable medical device for surgical procedures. When determining which type of device is right for patients and facility needs, top hospitals and medical center facilitators consider the difference between the two types: reusable devices are used more than once, while disposable medical devices are manufactured for one-time use.
When choosing between reusable or single-use medical devices for surgical operations, it’s essential to consider reprocessing costs should you choose reusable options. For decades, reprocessing medical devices to reuse them has been a long-standing best practice, but as healthcare costs, cross-contamination, and patient safety concerns related to SSIs increase, top surgery centers are turning to disposable medical devices, a more cost-effective, reliable solution that reduces surgical site infections and operational costs.
How Disposable Medical Devices Reduce Surgical Site Infections
Here are some significant ways that disposable medical devices reduce surgical site infections:
Decreases Cross-Contamination
Studies released by healthcare publications state that disposable medical devices are more likely to maintain sterility than reusable instruments. It’s noted that one of the most significant advantages of disposable devices is that they lower the risk of transmitting infection through cross-contamination compared to reusable equipment. By reducing the chances of transmitting surgical site infections through cross-contamination, disposable medical devices minimize patient safety concerns and improve care.
Avoids Reprocessing Errors
Another way that using disposable medical devices helps with SSI prevention is by eliminating reprocessing and potential errors that come with it. Medical device reprocessing creates residual contamination caused by left-behind sterilization agents like water-soluble lubricants. Over time, reprocessing agents can break down the device’s materials, which compromises device functionality.
An Experienced Disposable Medical Device Manufacturer
As an experienced medical device manufacturer, Remington Medical learned more than 25 years ago that using disposable medical devices is the most effective way to reduce surgical site infections, minimize patient safety concerns, and maintain device functionality and quality.
As a pacemaker sales representative more than three decades ago, Remington’s founder watched the quality and efficiency of his pacemaker models diminish after just six months of demonstrations. Not only did device quality deteriorate after each demonstration, but he also noticed that due to consistent reprocessing, the effectiveness of medical devices for patient use also declined. After that, Remington started the journey to becoming the experienced disposable medical device manufacturing company we are today, and the rest is history.
Along with a wide range of other medical devices, we specialize in manufacturing disposable general surgery equipment, providing you with essential general surgery devices that may help with SSI prevention and minimize patient safety concerns. Remington supplies everything you need to give patients high-quality care from medical cables to needles and guides. Contact us today to learn more about our superior disposable medical devices.
