Reduce manual pre-cleaning and costs with the deconex® TWIN 2-component system

In an impressive and meticulously conducted study, the CSSD at Weiden Hospital has been able to prove that manual reprocessing of instruments can be significantly reduced by switching the process chemistry to the deconex® TWIN system. 

This led to enormous time savings of >90 % for the CSSD team around (study) manager Kordula Hoffmann compared to the previous chemistry and the discontinued processes. The changeover also led to an optimisation of resources and, thanks to a significantly lower use of chemicals for manual reprocessing, also to a reduction in reprocessing costs - without compromising on best-in-class cleaning results.

Before switching to deconex®, the instruments and cleaning and disinfection units regularly showed discolouration and stains. These were caused by the chemicals used and led to additional costs due to additional pre- and post-cleaning. What's more, before the product and process changeover to deconex®, all instruments first underwent thorough cleaning and passivation. A recent study by the Swiss EMPA has shown in detail that using the nitric and phosphoric acid-based deconex® 34GR results in a passive layer 5 times thicker than comparable products based on citric acid. Through the use of deconex® 34 GR and the wholesale conversion of the reprocessing process to the deconex®TWIN system, the CSSD of Weiden Hospital was able to reduce instrument repair costs by up to 18 %.

 

 

Even though the validation of reprocessing processes for medical devices is still in its infancy in many countries outside Europe, it has been a legal requirement in Germany and other European countries for more than 20 years and is designed to ensure the quality of reprocessing routines in terms of patient and staff protection. Nevertheless, the case study involving the CSSD team at Weiden Hospital shows very impressively that validated processes are not always the best processes - otherwise there would not have been regular problems with discolouration, rust and stains before the process chemistry was changed. Even seemingly proven and validated processes can lead to quality losses in the longer term and, as a result, to unnecessarily high personnel deployment around the reprocessing routines in the CSSD and significantly increased personnel and repair costs. Especially against the background of patient safety and increasing cost pressure, this study highlights very effectively that the total costs for the CSSD and the hospital should be taken into account rather than the canister price alone when selecting the process chemistry and process parameters.

All in all, the conversion to the automated deconex® TWIN 2-component system and the optimisation of processes led to a significant reduction in the total costs of reprocessing, an increase in patient safety and customer satisfaction and increased staff motivation.

 

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«We would make this changeover of the process chemicals again at any time»
Kordula Hoffmann, Head of CSSD, Weiden Hospital

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With the launch of deconex® TWIN xpert, the next generation of the deconex® TWIN system, this 2-component system with the well-known and unmistakable performance reserve is now also available as a phosphate-free cleaner and combines high cleaning performance with maximum sustainability for the benefit of the environment.

If you would like to learn more about the deconex® TWIN xpert system, please contact us at .

We also look forward to receiving feedback on your experiences with automated processing and to exchanging professional views with you.