Business
Further guidance from DoH on contamination levels
Further guidance from DoH on contamination levels.
About this update from Sdi Group Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \nRNS Number : 7479D Scientific Digital Imaging Plc 11 July 2016 \n\nSCIENTIFIC DIGITAL IMAGING PLC\n(\"SDI\" or the \"Company\") \nScientific Digital Imaging welcomes further guidance from the UK Department of Health on decontamination of surgical instruments\nScientific Digital Imaging plc (AIM: SDI) the AIM quoted group focused on scientific and technology products for use in applications including life sciences, healthcare, astronomy, consumer manufacturing and art conservation, welcomes the new guidelines from the UK Department of Health (DOH), issued on 8 July 2016, that protein levels on a surgical instrument should be measured directly on the surface rather than by swabbing or other commonly used methods*. Detecting protein levels on surgical instruments is an important means of minimising transmission risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in healthcare settings, and the DOH continue to recommend that the upper limit of acceptable protein contamination after processing to be 5µg BSA equivalent per instrument side, with a lower level necessary for neurosurgical instruments. \nIt is a goal that all healthcare providers engaged in the management and decontamination of surgical instruments used in acute care will be expected to have implemented this guidance by 1 July 2018. However, providers whose instruments are likely to come into contact with higher risk tissues, for example neurological tissue, are expected to give this guidance higher priority and move to in situ protein detection methodologies by 1 July 2017.\nKen Ford, Chairman of SDI commented:\n\"The Department of Health's new guidance confirms that protein levels on a surgical instrument should be measured directly on the surface rather than by swabbing or other commonly used methods. ProReveal, our highly sensitive fluorescence-based patented protein detection test, is the only marketed product of which we are aware that can adhere to these stringent guidelines. It allows the testing of the whole instrument for protein, rather than just a small, swabbed area, and will be invaluable to the Sterile Services Departments in hospitals throughout the UK and overseas.\"\nProReveal is a highly sensitive fluorescence-based patented protein detection test for checking the presence of residual protein on sur...