Be Sharp!
Dull Instruments Just Don't Cut It
Making the Cut
Sharpness has rarely been adequately monitored or tested within
hospitals simply because there had been no true standard. People try to test
scissors by cutting fabric, cotton balls, sponges, latex gloves, or other materials, but
that doesn't work well since there's so much variation in each material. Now, some
health facilities are using a new, rubber-like material called Theraband, which can
provide a consistent, accurate measure of scissors sharpness.
Medium-grade red Theraband is used for scissors measuring 4.5 inches to
12 inches in length, while yellow Theraband is used for scissors measuring 3 inches to 4
inches. To assess sharpness, cut through the material three times with each
scissors, making sure that the cut goes all the way to the distal tip since that's the
portion that surgeons use most frequently.
It's important that the people who test scissors know how to use them as
a surgeon does. A layperson would probably shove their thumb through the ring and
start whacking, but a surgeon holds it differently, using the first bend of the thumb and
the index finger as guides and applying torque to maneuver the scissors. The cutting
motion is much more delicate and relies mostly on the distal portion of the scissors.
A proactive plan for scissors quality assurance would mean testing of
all scissors processed two days a week. The testing would take place when the sets
are being assembled. Over the course of time, scissors satisfaction would rise. It's
also advantageous to use magnification as part of your visual inspection so you can detect
problems that may escape the naked eye.
Finally, spend some time checking out your service vendor, whether you
use onsite or offsite maintenance (or, ideally, a combination of both). A local or
regional vendor is often more flexible in meeting your demands, such as turnaround
deadlines, same-day service, and weekend service.
This article originally appeared in the September 1997
issue of Materials Management
