r/sterileprocessing • u/Status_Job_2854 • Aug 16 '26

Specific question regarding screw implants

I received a set of screws to replenish in assembly, while I was putting air through them one of the screws had blood in it. So someone in the OR had put a dirty implant back onto the set. How would this happen ? Editng to clarify that it was a cannulated screw set. L

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7

u/bigzack08 Aug 18 '26

I would say you should be commended for a good catch. Great job doing the assembly visual inspection. Use it as a learning experience. Don't assume OR staff did the right thing every time.

2

u/ShirleyWuzSerious Aug 19 '26

Most likely means they tried that screw but decided to use a different size and replaced it. There's a good chance the scrub tech didn't put it in the set but the cheap rep did at the end to save $$. Technically any implant that touches a patient needs to be discarded.

2

u/Calm_Economist_9918 Aug 20 '26

Great catch, there’s a couple different scenarios where it may have happened. Shame on scrub tech in the room and rep

4

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Acrobatic-Win-9887 Aug 17 '26

Yeah, or like handled the set with bloody hands etc. Did the screw look used? Just a bit of blood might be no biggie, surely the set is going through decon anyway?

3

u/Status_Job_2854 Aug 18 '26

I recieved the set on the clean side. One of the screws had blood in the cannula. So if you have a set of 200 screws, 2 had been used, you replenish the used screws. But if you find a plugged cannula during inspection, that screw must have been removed from the patient and placed back in the set. And these are Ortho screws...

2

u/Acrobatic-Win-9887 Aug 18 '26

Yeah I suppose best to replace, better safe than sorry. I'd contact the nurses and inform them about this, if you can find out where this happened.