gke patient tracing system

gke PATIENT TRACING LABELS AND STERILISING CYCLE RECORDS

gke Patient Tracing - A Manual System: Cycle Records (documentation sheets) Applicator Guns and Piggy Back Labels with Process Indicators.

Patient Tracing gives the added advantage of permanent proof that any packs (instruments, solid, hollow, handpieces etc) used in a Surgical Procedure have been through a sterilisation process.

Patient Tracing is a label that has a Process Indicator and can be removed from the surgical pack and placed onto the patient notes for possible reference if required in the future.

It conforms with Australian/New Zealand Standards AS/NZ 4817, AS/NZ 4185 and can link to written documentation for all items in each batch/load processed by the Sterilising Department.

The necessity for simplicity

A manual system must be kept simple - if unnecessary written paperwork is involved, it will greatly increase the possibility of human error.

The importance of documentation labels

Product Identification and traceability includes sterilising cycle records "documentation" reference AS/NZ 4187 (2003) page 63, 8.5.2.2 .

Written documentation and batch labeling alone is not enough.

Written documentation or recording of a sterilisers batch/load contents in the Central Sterilisation Department (CSD) merely indicates what surgical packs were proposed for that load.

The indicator tape used externally on surgical packs is to alert any healthcare worker that a surgical pack has or has not been through a sterilisation process - the tape and internal indicators are discarded on opening of the pack.

Therefore there is no permanent proof that the pack actually did go through the sterilisation process.

Tracing to the patient requires a piggy back label with a steam process indicator that can be transferred from the surgical pack to the patients notes providing proof of the process if required in the future.

Note

Steam Process Indicators provide a distinctive colour change eg unprocessed blue and processed brown
Sterrad Process Indicators provide a distinctive colour change eg unprocessed navy blue and processed purple
Ethylene Oxide Process Indicators provide a distinctive colour change eg unprocessed red and processed green
Steriliser number and Batch number
Date of sterilisation
Alpha/numeric line for (1) pack identification (2) steriliser identification (eg steam or sterrad) and (3) CSSD staff identification
Piggy back label which is able to be placed in the patient's notes
For more information on our Recording/Documentation sheets please see our "Technical" page.

** It is important to note that all government and non-government healthcare facilities are accountable and can be held liable for negligence as a result of human error. In today's environment patients are a lot more aware of their rights and litigation is now a major concern to all health care facilities.