Final answer:
The prevention of retained foreign objects is managed through stringent counting, documentation, cleaning, and sterilizing protocols set by agencies like the FDA, with nurses playing a crucial role in reviewing these procedures. Enhancements to these protocols are ongoing, particularly in response to disease outbreaks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The standard protocol for preventing retained foreign objects involves thorough counting and documentation procedures. Protocols for cleaning or sterilizing medical equipment are developed by governmental agencies such as the FDA and organizations like the AOAC.
These protocols are crucial for manufacturers and healthcare providers to ensure patient safety. For example, a nurse will review items aloud with the surgical team to confirm the completeness of needle, sponge, and instrument counts and correctness of specimen labeling. These steps are taken to prevent any foreign objects from being left inside a patient post-operatively.
Due to issues such as CRE outbreaks, hospitals, manufacturers, and the FDA are actively improving and updating their cleaning procedures. Hospitals are implementing more stringent measures than those required by the FDA, and manufacturers are redesigning medical devices to minimize areas where bacteria can thrive. The FDA has also emphasized the need for meticulous hand cleaning of challenging parts of medical devices like the duodenoscope elevator mechanism and stricter quality control in disinfection protocols.