After SARS in 2003, MERS in 2012, COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) is the third global epidemic of this 21st century. This pandemic shows our vulnerability and our weaknesses in dealing with it. Among our weaknesses the inability to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) (masks, protective gowns, etc.).
That scarcity has given rise to initiatives, attempts and experiments aimed at reprocessing single-use medical devices.
The protocols and recommendations we have seen emerge in this race against time could not of course meet the standards.

The authors of the letter to the editor comment on the following publication: “False positive results of Bowie and Dick type test used for hospital steam sterilizer with slower come-up ramps: A case study”.
The objective of the mentioned article was to determine if the standardized Bowie and Dick (B&D) type test for hospital steam sterilizers is correctly indicating cycle failures in slower come-up ramps cycles.
That scarcity has given rise to initiatives, attempts and experiments aimed at reprocessing single-use medical devices.
The protocols and recommendations we have seen emerge in this race against time could not of course meet the standards.

Often, there is a need for external persons to work in the Reprocessing Unit for Medical Devices (RUMED); such tasks include technical activities, training, inspections, audits and reference visits.
With this recommendation the Quality Task Group aims to create awareness of the role of “external persons” with regard to occupational health and safety and hygiene.

In sterilization departments, manual washing of medical devices is not regulated by any standard.
The control of the preparation of the instruments detergent bath is essentially linked to the quality of the water and detergent distribution system.
Measurement of the conductivity can be used as a control tool of the detergent bath.