Abstract
Background: The central preparation and sterilization unit plays a vital role in supporting operating rooms and other departments by providing tools for cleaning, disinfection, assembly, packaging, and sterilization. This study aimed to determine the conformity between the standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the practices of the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) in selected operation rooms at Ayatollah Kashani Hospital, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted from 2019 to 2020 using a cross-sectional approach. The census method was used for sampling. A researcher-made checklist was used to collect the data, the validity of which was approved by 10 faculty members of the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Furthermore, test-retest reliability was used to verify the checklist. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and independent t-tests via SPSS software version 21.
Results: The findings showed that the scores for safety and personal protection measures (P=0.35) and equipment packing, sterilization, and storage practices did not comply with CDC standards at Kashani Hospital in Shahrekord. However, there was conformity in the physical score, environmental control, decontamination, transfer of contaminated items to the CDC department, device arrangement, and recall process for non-sterile items (P=0.038).
Conclusion: The central sterilization ward of the operating room complied with CDC criteria in most cases. Cases of non-compliance were due to insufficient budget and training; therefore, cases that are inconsistent with the standards should be identified, and positive steps should be taken to fully align the methods with the standards to prevent patient complications and possible damage.