Tube Scoop:
Insider's Guide to Cleaning Lap Instruments

There's been a lot of focus on the shafts of laparoscopic instruments.   But damage to the distal ends of these instruments is a costly problem as well.   Most distal tip injuries to lap instruments happen when they're banged around during transportation.  If you want to spend pennies to save hundreds of dollars, here's a suggestion: Put vented tip protectors on the tips of laparoscopic instruments.

Simply slide the protectors over the tips.  Let the clinical staff know what you're doing and tell them that when they open a set, all they have to do is take the tips off and put them in the tray.  After the surgery the vented tips go back on for transportation to decontamination.  You've got to protect the distal tips, and this is a very low-cost way to save major dollars.

This article originally appeared in the November 1997 issue of Materials Management, and was adapted from a presentation made by the author Rick Schultz at the 1997 annual meeting of the American Society for Healthcare Central Service Professionals (ASHCSP).