Embarking on the AAMI ST108 Sterile Process Water Journey: Seven Insights for Success!
By: Allen Clouse
This article was previously published on Linkedin Pulse by Allen Clouse. You can read the original publication here!
Over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of assisting hospitals and surgery centers in preparing their Sterile Process Water systems for AAMI TIR 34/2017. With an exciting transition to ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023 now underway, I’m thrilled to share seven “hands-on” insights that could be a game-changer for facility personnel and clinicians navigating these waters.
- Devil in the Dead-Legs: Choose Your Engineering Firm Wisely! When it comes to system design, the devil is in the dead-legs. My advice? Be selective with your engineering firm, as adhering to outdated piping designs may lead to pitfalls. Let’s avoid pitfalls in bacteria and endotoxin testing by ensuring dead-legs adhere to Item 8.3.3 Pipework guidelines.
- Sample Points Matter: Don’t Forget Them! Clear specifications on sample points are often missing in designs, leading to future headaches. Let’s avoid future expenses and ensure sample points are a part of the original plan.
- Navigating Utility Water Standards: A Challenge Worth Tackling! Meeting the Utility Water Standard is no walk in the park, especially if your municipal water source is an underground well or aquifer. Let’s strategize the redesign of hot and cold-water feeds to align with sterile processing department standards.
- Faucets as Bacteria Traps: Enter the AquaTap! Say goodbye to using Deionized Water faucets for “final-rinse” water. Check out the innovative AquaTap faucet by Georg Fischer, a game-changer in recirculating critical water. Link to AquaTap
- Room to Breathe: Consider Annex F Design Considerations! No one likes cramped spaces, especially in the water room. Let’s draw inspiration from Annex F and ensure ample space for equipment and service technicians.
- Putting Off Steam: Quarterly Testing Matters! ST108 mandates quarterly testing of steam condensate. Ensure that your water management team is aware, especially if the facility relies on “plant steam.” Meeting the new standard might require some adjustments.
- Buyer Beware: Immersed in Details! When installing or upgrading systems, ensure that the key personnel involved in the project take a deep dive into the details of the new standard. Personally, my ST108 manual is annotated with tabs and reminders, because with eighty-eight pages of crucial material to remember, there’s no substitute for study and repetition. Knowledge is power!
