Have you ever wondered why you are supposed to do things like brush scopes under water during manual cleaning or keep clean and dirty workflows separate? Hospital personnel come in contact with patient bodily fluids and other contamination during medical procedures, and the same is true for reprocessing personnel who handle the medical devices and instruments used in those procedures. In this webinar, two researchers will explain guideline and IFU recommendations for minimizing splash and reducing contamination and exposure in the decontam area. Participants will learn about different tools used in testing for moisture, and the researchers will describe findings from a recent pilot project that explored which reprocessing activities generate splash and where droplets land on surfaces and PPE. Participants will receive strategies for assessing splash and using the hierarchy of controls to manage splash risk and reduce personnel exposure in their departments

Objectives

By the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will be able to:
• Discuss the risk of personnel exposure to splash generated during medical procedures and sterile processing
• Describe guidelines and manufacturer instructions on dirty-to-clean workflow and splash reduction
• Explain findings of real-world experiments done to assess droplet dispersal during reprocessing
• List several strategies for assessing and managing splash risk and personnel exposure

Instructors

Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH
President and CEO, Ofstead & Associates, Inc.
Cori Ofstead is an epidemiologist with 30 years of experience designing and conducting studies about the impact of clinical processes on patient outcomes. She has served as the Principal Investigator on numerous studies related to infection prevention, instrument reprocessing, and vaccination against infectious diseases. Ms. Ofstead is nationally recognized for her groundbreaking research, and her studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals including CHEST, AJIC, ICHE, Journal of Hospital Infection, Endoscopy International Open, Urology, Journal of Wound Care, Gastroenterology Nursing, and Vaccine. She currently serves as a reviewer for AJIC, The Journal of Hospital Infection, Endoscopy, and the Journal of Urology, and is an active member of the editorial board for AJIC. She has presented the findings of her studies at national and international conferences sponsored by the CDC, APIC, HSPA, AORN, SGNA, AGA, ASGE, and several universities. 

Krystina M. Hopkins, MPH
Krystina Hopkins was a research manager with Ofstead & Associates, Inc. before moving on to a
frontline quality management position at a local hospital. She has an MPH in environmental health,
specializing in infectious disease. Her research has been published in AJIC, ICHE, Endoscopy International
Open, Journal of Wound Care, Urology, AORN Journal, BI&T, and HSPA’s PROCESS
magazine. Ms. Hopkins has over 15 years of hands-on health and healthcare-related research
experience in diverse in-patient, outpatient, and academic settings. Prior to joining Ofstead in 2017, she
supported clinical trials in environmental health, health economics, and community-based research as a
research project manager at Medica Research Institute. Ms. Hopkins was also involved with projects
related to molecular and microbiology, epidemiology, infectious disease, and occupational health in
various roles at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health.