Regardless of the location, every hospital has a department for the purposes of addressing infection control though the name may have some variation depending on the location; the most common names for this department include central sterile services department, sterile processing department, sterile processing, central supply department, central supply, central services, or the central services department (Lind & Ninemeier, 2007).
This department, by any name, has one job, perhaps one of the most vital jobs within the hospital. Understanding the key responsibilities of this department is crucial to understanding how a hospital is able to function effectively, allowing the organization to concentrate its focus on healing people as opposed to being concerned with individuals getting sicker in the hospital than he or she was when they first entered its doors.
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"Infection Control in a Hospital Setting".
The central services department is responsible for decontaminating, inspecting, and sterilizing reusable materials within the hospital setting (Materiel Services, 2015; Infection Control Today, 2015; Boehm, et al., 2008; Lind & Ninemeier, 2007). The department is also responsible for setting up the specific processes and procedures used to accomplish these tasks (Materiel Services, 2015; Infection Control Today, 2015; Boehm, et al., 2008; Lind & Ninemeier, 2007). The many different materials that the central services department is responsible for sterilizing include, but may not be limited to, basins, individual instruments, the trays on which instruments reside, and all of the linens that are used throughout the day to day operations of a hospital (Materiel Services, 2015; Infection Control Today, 2015; Boehm, et al., 2008; Lind & Ninemeier, 2007). There are certain central services departments that may also be willing to sterilize personal equipment owned by employees of the hospital, as long as those items are appropriately prepared by the owner and are accompanied by the requisite request forms, however such a practice is hospital dependent (Materiel Services, 2015).
There are many different ways in which the central services department may sterilize instruments, depending on the processes and procedures put into place by that central services department, the type of item being sterilized, and the resources available at that particular hospital. Different types of sterilization that may be provided can include, but are not limited to, flash sterilization, dry heat sterilization, ethylene oxide (EtO gas) sterilization, pasteurization, and steam sterilization (Materiel Services, 2015; Infection Control Today, 2015; Boehm, et al., 2008; Lind & Ninemeier, 2007).
Finally, the processes and procedures used within the given hospital setting and in relation to the particular materials that are being discussed, will likewise be within the purview of the central services department. The department is responsible for setting all policies and procedures in place, ensuring that those policies and procedures are followed, and responsible for reviewing all policies and procedures in order to ensure that they remain up to date with all new literature on sterilization techniques.
The central services department is an essential component in working to ensure that the hospital is able to remain focused on the business, and the practice, of caring for patients, without having to constantly be concerned with the possibility of secondary infection. Without infection control services, the hospital conditions would be in line with those of centuries past, conditions that would make any individual wary of entering through the doors. An essential service is provided by this department and understanding that service is one of the first steps in identifying how a hospital is able to function in today’s day and age.
