Bundles for the central sterile supply department

Abstract

Background: Traditional resources, such as bundles, can help experts define essential steps of health product processing to prevent infections. The present study developed bundle content construction and validation criteria for central sterile supply departments (CSSDs).

Methods: The present study employed a Delphi technique modified for content evaluation. Eleven professionals with at least 4 years of experience in sterilization were enlisted. Participants discussed main stages of the process virtually and compiled a list of items based on scientific references justified by law and/or logical reasoning. Agreement, disagreement, and/or suggestions on each step resulted in bundles for a CSSD. Items were then reassessed by experts using a Likert scale with a 90% approval criterion.

Results: Six bundles were developed: cleaning, inspection, preparation and packaging, sterilization, and storage resulting from 384 responses and 373 agreements (Interassessor coefficient = 97%).

Discussions: Items obtained from the criteria assessment received majority agreement from the first document.

Conclusions: Agreement among varying professionals was achieved, and bundles were successfully developed to evaluate the processing of goods in CSSDs.

Keywords: Cross infection; Equipment and supplies; Equipment reuse; Health surveillance; Products surveillance.