Reusable gynecological speculum outpatient clinic instead of single use specula

[Harry Oussoren]

The outpatient clinic of the department of gynecology in Amsterdam UMC (the Netherlands) was using disposable gynecological specula for the treatment of the patients.

Instead we are now using reusable gynecological specula, which are being reprocessed at the CSSD.

The reprocessing is a little but different than the normal procedure in which every medical device is individual packaged and sterilized after the cleaning and disinfection steps are being performed.

After the automated (pre)cleaning and disinfection is performed, the specula are being assembled in a tray. The tray is packaged for sterilization like normal. The sterilization process is 134 degrees Celsius with a holding time of 5 minutes.

Transportation to the outpatient clinic is according to the normal procedure (and therefore the medical devices are being protected of any microorganisms during transport form the CSSD to the ward)

After arrival at the outpatient clinic the sterile package is opened and the individual medical devices are stored non sterile (but still without any microorganisms from the previous patient) in cupboards with closed doors.

From this storage they are being transported and stored in the trolley in the treatment rooms for use in the patients.

With this new routine for these medical devices we save:

· No use of single use medical devices

· Less hospital specific waste

· Less use of packaging materials (no individual packaging)

· Less space is being used in our autoclaves

· Less storage space is necessary in the outpatient clinic

This procedure is setup in collaboration with the management of the outpatient clinic, a clinical microbiologist, the department of infection control and the experts in sterile medical devices of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers

We think that with this procedure we support the Green society and make the world a little bit a better place

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