Handbook for Cssd Technicians: Understanding the Basics - Second Edition

Copyright © 2023 Joan M Losper

Published by Joan M Losper at Smashwords

First edition 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Joan M Losper using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Edited by Susan Hall (van Tonder) for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.org

E-mail: [email protected]

Joan M Losper

To the Technician: About This Book

This book is for all Central Sterilising Services Department (CSSD) technicians, who work hard doing a job that is sometimes unappreciated.

You are remunerated a low salary, because you are regarded as a skilled worker, which means that you are trained on the job to master a set of skills and do not require any tertiary (university) education or previous experience. However, many hospitals require you to have a matric certificate and previous experience before they hire you.

The CSSD technician’s skill set, when mastered, is invaluable to any operating theatre (OT), because without your skills, an operating theatre cannot function, the nursing staff do not have work in operating theatres, surgeons cannot perform surgery and hospitals do not receive revenue from surgical cases.

The operations that surgeons perform involve various disciplines, such as general surgery; gynaecological and orthopaedic surgery; plastic and reconstructive surgery; cardiac and thoracic surgery; ear, nose and throat surgery; and many other disciplines.

This means that a hospital cannot perform any surgical procedures without your skilled contribution.

Technicians, you are needed in the industry and therefore these guidelines, along with all your formal training and in-service training, will assist you in mastering your skills.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!

A book by Rashmi Bansal (Often quoted by Steve Jobs).

THE DECONTAMINATION AND STERILISATION PROCESS – between CSSD and OT

Introduction

The day you decided to work in CSSD, you probably decided to work here because you could not find another job, and because you are not required by certain hospitals to have a matric certificate or previous experience. Some of you do have previous experience, but you will find that your work in your new job will not be the same as it was in your previous job.

Your work will not be the same because no hospital performs the same operations and the layout of the CSSD department will not be the same. How you work will always be different, but why you do the work will remain the same. This is because of the following factors.

i. Micro-organisms grow or multiply in the same environment, which is in warm, moist, and dark conditions. These conditions can be found at home, at someone else’s home or in a hospital.

ii. Micro-organisms are easily transferred. This means that you must dress