Reprocessing and reuse of single-use medical devices and the role of interprofessional collaboration: A literature review

Abstract

Single-use medical devices have become a default method and standard of care. This is increasingly becoming a burden on the environment and society, and it is therefore of utmost importance to go back to the basics and reemphasize the need for the selective and careful reuse of these medical devices. In the current scenario, attempts have been made to reuse devices, many of which were meant to be disposable. This is an effort to provide cost-effective health care while still maintaining high standards of patient care and safety. However, inadequate reprocessing between patient uses can result in the retention of blood, tissue, and other debris, which allows microbes to survive the sterilization process, leading to health care–associated infections and other adverse reactions to patients. In this article, it is described how we can solve this problem by engaging all stakeholders that have a role in reprocessing. Furthermore, the need for a set protocol to ensure standard rules and regulations requiring all reprocessing facilities to maintain the functionality and safety of the medical devices is emphasized. Through interprofessional collaboration, we can achieve cost-effective and safer results. Each single-use device and particular health care context may have different criteria and guidelines through which these quality management decisions are made.