Mobile CSSD provides flexible on-site capacity

A mobile or modular on-site sterilisation department can ensure continuity during periods of refurbishment or exceptional demand.

Refurbishing the sterilisation or decontamination departments of a hospital — whether it is planned or the result of an emergency — or replacing the equipment in it, can be a daunting process. Additional space will be needed to set up a temporary facility, and the entire flow of instruments within the hospital risks being disrupted.

Sterilisation and decontamination departments are often in use seven days a week, and are critical for the flow of patients and procedures to carry on unhindered. It is also essential that decontamination of any instrument used in a hospital setting meets the latest standards, including AS/NZS 4187:2014, and this can be difficult to achieve with a temporary setup.

Decanting the CSSD

Hospitals without the space or the budget to reconstruct a new or temporary internal sterilisation or decontamination department have limited options. Using a neighbouring hospital’s sterilisation facilities temporarily, or outsourcing the whole process, means sending instruments to an off-site location.

This means the hospital could be faced with delays in getting vital instruments back to the department, an increased risk of contamination and the hospital may also need to buy more instruments to cover the increased ‘downtime’.

Another option is to deploy a flexible, mobile or modular solution which allows cleaning to continue to take place on-site. One example is Q-bital’s mobile Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) unit, which is now available in Australia.

Fully integrated and designed to provide replacement capacity, it will help hospitals to continue delivering the vital service of cleaning, sterilising and repackaging of surgical instruments during a temporary service disruption or exceptional demand.

A flexible on-site solution

The mobile CSSD units offered by Q-bital are compliant with the latest Australian standards, and can be brought to any hospital site, allowing all processes to continue uninterrupted, with sterilisation activity being kept on site, and utilising the hospital’s existing staff.

The sterilisation process is strict for surgical instruments; the water used in the sterilisation process needs to be purified and disinfected and the air in the department needs to be filtered to ensure optimal cleanliness. A unidirectional flow of instruments also needs to be ensured.

Q-bital’s CSSD unit, which is completely stand-alone, takes care of all this and contains all facilities and equipment needed for the process. Units contain an integrated RO system with water softener and brine tank to ensure water quality meets all requirements, and provide HEPA-filtered environmental air. Integrations for the hospital’s own track and trace system are also provided, allowing the hospital to retain control over the flow of instruments.

Mobile sterilisation departments have one-way flow and incorporate a pre-cleaning area with a manual clean workbench, washer disinfectors and steam sterilisers, a clean packing room and a post sterilisation processing room, as well as dirty and clean utility areas. A staff changing area, including WC and hand washing facilities, is also provided for the comfort of staff working in the unit.

Suitable for any site

A flexible mobile CSSD or endoscope decontamination facility can be installed very quickly with a minimum of preparation, depending on the characteristics of the site. All that is needed is a relatively flat hard standing area, such as a car park or concrete pad, along with connections to utilities within a reasonable distance from where the unit will be placed.

As well as the space required for the unit itself, which is around 15 x 8 metres, additional space may be needed for steps, ramps and connecting corridors. Evaluation visits can be provided if required, and a site survey, risk analysis and support with planning forms part of Q-bital’s commitment to the hospital.

Q-bital works closely with the hospital throughout the commissioning and validation process that takes place once the unit has arrived on site, and provides full training and induction on the unit, which includes ‘sign-off’ of hospital staff.

For many hospitals, achieving compliance with the new AS/NZS 4187:2014 sterilisation standards will mean remodelling or upgrading the central sterilisation department, and bringing a fully compliant mobile CSSD unit on-site will enable this to be achieved with a minimum of disruption.

Get in touch at info@q-bital.com to find out more about mobile CSSD availability in Australia.