Background
Across Canada, the practice of reusing medical devices intended for single use is evolving. Health institutions that once routinely reused single-use devices (SUDs) that had been reprocessed in-house have moved away from such practices because of growing concerns about patient safety and potential legal liability.
In Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), as of 2010, all regional health authorities have issued policies that essentially prohibit the reprocessing and reuse of SUDs. Variation exists, however, in the wording of such policies and in the alignment of clinical practice with these policies.
This expedited CHRSP report is based primarily on the evidence from a single systematic review produced in French by Agence d'évaluation des technologies et des modes d'intervention en santé (AETMIS) and subsequently contextualized by us for the province of NL with input from local stakeholders with expertise in infection prevention and control.
Research question
What does the best currently available scientific evidence say about the effectiveness, safety, and potential economic benefits of reusing certain reprocessed single-use devices (SUDs)?
Page printed on 2013/05/19 @ 07:47:25 from:
http://www.nlcahr.mun.ca//profiles/profile_SUDs.php