Synergy Health has launched an advanced instrument pre-clean gel, AZO GEL, using an innovative formula that improves both the efficiency and safety of reprocessing medical devices.
AZO GEL assists healthcare professionals meet their best practice decontamination guidelines. The guidelines, including the most-recent UK Ministry of Health Choice Framework for local Policy and Procedures 01-01, recommend that medical instruments are kept moist prior to decontamination. This is intended to reduce the potential spread of diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD. By encouraging the change in decontamination practice, the guidelines aim to reduce rates of healthcare association infection (HCAI) transmission.
Trials and independent laboratory tests have shown that AZO GEL is highly effective in removing dried organic debris bound to medical instruments. It has been proven to provide the most optimal coating on stainless steel medical instruments which can reduce spills and splashes, minimising risk of infection exposure for personnel handling contaminated instruments.
A product trial at the London Clinic also demonstrated improved productivity in a local CSSD site - delivering a 21% increase in instruments processed per hour and a 36% reduction in re-washes.
Dr Jimmy Kwok, managing director of Synergy Health’s infection prevention and control division, said: "The application of AZO GEL to surgical equipment post surgery and during transit from the operating theatre to the CSSD is an important infection control intervention that can help to lower the risk of HCAI transmission.
“Our extensive hospital sterilisation services expertise allowed us to develop a truly innovative product with a patent pending formulation which we believe will best enable our customers to reduce infection risks. Feedback so far has been very encouraging and we look forward to introducing the product to international markets in the coming months.”
Dr Richard Steeves, group chief executive, added: "The strengthening of our infection prevention and control product portfolio will provide us more ways to support healthcare practitioners in providing a safer environment to work in. This is also an example where Synergy Health demonstrates its continuous commitment to innovate and support best practice."