A reason to celebrate: for the 25th time the German Society of Sterile Supply (DGSV e.V) held its sterile supply reprocessing congress. It was fitting for this festive occasion that the conference could once again be held as a face-to-face event. After all, around 800 delegates took advantage of this opportunity to meet again.

After a long time, sterilisation professionals were finally able to meet again at the usual place in the Congress Centre Biel for the 18th Swiss Symposium on Sterilisation. Even though attendance was lower than before, this did not diminish the joy of meeting in person again. The professional programme also had a lot to offer.

Due to the ongoing criticism and at the urging of leading associations such as the German Medical Devices Association (BVMed) and the German Hospital Federation (DKG), the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) is currently looking into possible improvements.

Wayne Spencer intended to write something on leadership for the opening of the new edition of ZENTRALSTERILIZATION and the recent events in Ukraine have brought this sharply into focus.

Following the Franco-German initiative of medtech associations BVMed and SNITEM to promote solutions at the European policy level to the challenges of implementing the new EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR), some 20 other national associations of the European medtech industry have joined the proposed solutions. This was reported by BVMed CEO and board member Dr. Marc-Pierre Möll on the occasion of the European MedTech Forum, which took place in Barcelona from May 3 to 5, 2022.

About 1000 participants met on site in Berlin at the beginning of May to discuss the latest developments in hospital hygiene. Two sessions also dealt with sterile supply: "Reprocessing of medical devices" and "Cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation". To kick off the symposium Dr. Christian Jäkel reported about "New legal regulations for the reprocessing of single-use medical devices in Germany and Europe".

The Central Sterilising Club held their Annual Scientific Meeting this year in Stratford upon Avon at the beginning of April. Read a first short report here. Many delegates were again able to participate on site and in person – hopefully a start to an almost normal conference season.

At a conference in Paris on March 14, 2022, the medtech associations BVMed
and SNITEM launched a Franco-German initiative with representatives of the EU
Commission to drive forward solutions at the European policy level to the problems
encountered in implementing the new EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).

The sound emissions from ultrasonic baths (ultrasonic cleaners) are often an underestimated hazard. However, they must be measured and evaluated in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

January ended with a shock when we received the news that Anke Carter, long-standing board member of the DGSV, suddenly passed away. Many international colleagues had also known and worked with her for many years. She qualified and motivated many people in specialist courses for the field of reprocessing medical devices. Anke Carter was 60 years old.

Overview of the most important official informations, studies and scientific overviews of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2.

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