Effect of Multifaceted Interventions for Ward Nurses on the Storage, Conditions, and Transportation of Specimens for Microbial Culture

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to provide multifaceted interventions for nurses and to confirm changes in their knowledge, perception, and actual practice on the adequate storage, conditions, and transportation of culture specimens. @*Methods@#A onegroup pretest-posttest experimental design was conducted with 41 nurses in two general wards of a tertiary acute care hospital in Seoul. Multifaceted interventions including education, feedback, posting guidelines and reminders, and improvement in specimen management accessibility were provided from May 2019 to January 2020. Outcomes were measured before and after the interventions. Knowledge and perception of the nurses were evaluated using self-reported questionnaires and actual practice by observation. @*Results@#After the interventions, the average knowledge score on transportation time was significantly increased (Z = -4.89, p < .001). However, the knowledge score on storage methods was not significantly increased. The perception score was significantly increased (t = -3.19, p = .003). The proportion of specimen storage times, places, and conditions managed properly was significantly increased from 43.0% (46/107) to 77.1% (84/109) (p < .001). The average transportation time of blood samples to the laboratory significantly decreased from 3 hours 36 minutes ( ± 1 hour 52 minutes) to 3 hours 1 minute ( ± 1 hour 41 minutes) (t = 2.51, p = .013). The percentage of blood culture specimens arriving within 2 hours was increased significantly from 22.9% to 39.2% ( χ 2 = 6.90, p = .009). @*Conclusion@#The interventions were effective. However, some specimens remained in the ward longer than expected after the interventions. This requires further interventions.

A Comparison of the Perception of and Adherence to the COVID-19 Social Distancing Behavior Guidelines among Health Care Workers, Patients, and General Public

Purpose@#To identify the differences in perception of and adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guidelines among health care workers, patients, and the general public and to use them to prevent the spread of COVID-19. @*Methods@#From October 16 2020 to November 30, 2020, a survey was conducted among 85 health care workers, 85 patients, and 82 general public regarding the perception of and adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guidelines. @*Results@#Patients scored significantly higher than the general public in the adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline, and there was no difference between health care workers and general public, and patients and health care workers. In the multivariate analysis, the factors that influence the adherence of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guide were found in women and the perception of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline. @*Conclusion@#In order to promote the implementation of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline, it is necessary to increase the perception of the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline and provide additional education in men. It is necessary to investigate the reason behind why men have low adherence to the COVID-19 social distancing behavior guideline.

Evaluation of Environmental Contamination and Disinfection Effects in Patient Rooms with Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Using ATP Measurements and Microbial Cultures

To determine the extent of environmental contamination and the effect of disinfection around patients with carbapenemresistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and microbial culture tests. Methods: The subjects of this study were 10 patients hospitalized in a single room due to CRE from April 13 to 21, 2021. One hundred and sixty samples were collected using cotton swabs from the patients’ environment including the surface and drain of sinks and toilet seats before and after disinfection of the room after discharge. Twenty-one samples were collected from the nurses’ personal digital assistants (PDAs), keyboards, and computer mice before disinfection. The relative light units (RLUs) and CRE colony-forming units (CFU) of 181 samples were measured using ATP test equipment and chrome agar plates, respectively. Results: The highest RLUs were measured at the sink drains before and after disinfection. Four CRE samples from the sink drains (2), sink surface (1), and toilet bowl (1) before disinfection were cultured. Based on the failure criteria ( ≥ 250 RLU/cm2 and ≥ 1 CFU/100 cm2 ), 90 % and 50 % of the samples from the drain exceeded the failure criteria before and after disinfection, respectively. In the culture tests, CRE was not detected after disinfection. Conclusion: According to the RLU and CFU measurements of drain samples, disinfection was not effective. Thus, improvements in the disinfection methods of drains, as well as more efficient and systematic environmental decontamination and disinfection evaluation tools, are needed to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of disinfection in various places.

Common Scope of Practice for Advanced Practice Nurses in Korea Derived from Expert Agreement / 중환자간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to propose a common scope of practice (SOP) for 13 specialties of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in Korea.METHODS: The first draft of a common SOP was extracted from domestic and international laws with a literature review by 17 experts from the Korean Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (KAAPN). Then, the common SOP was finalized after comparing the activities of APNs in clinical settings.RESULTS: A total of 70 duties were identified and six categories were suggested for the common SOP. The SOP proposed by the KAAPN featured the following: 1) identification of and discrimination between health problems; 2) prescription and implementation of diagnostic tests; 3) treatment of injuries and diseases while implementing measures to prevent exacerbation; 4) prescription of medicinal products in line with 1) to 3); 5) referral and consultation; and 6) education and counseling. It was then confirmed that the proposed six categories in the common SOP reflected all the duties performed by APNs in clinical practice, including all 40 activities.CONCLUSION: The results of this study can be used as evidence for the legalization of a common SOP for APNs. Given the increasing multidisciplinary team approach adopted in Korean hospitals, it may be desirable to establish a broader SOP to reflect the diverse duties of APNs.

Impact of the Ventilator-associated Pneumonia Bundle in a Medical Intensive Care Unit

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to confirm the compliance of the application of a ventilator-associated pneumonia bundle and understand its effects on the decrease in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study with history control group design. Subjects were selected from January to June 2014, prior to the intervention using the ventilator-associated pneumonia bundle. Subjects were also selected from October 2014 to March 2015, 3 months after the intervention. The number of subjects was 112 before the intervention, and 107 after the intervention. RESULTS: The number of nurses who followed the bundles increased from 8 out of 29 (27.6%) before the intervention to 19 out of 29 (65.5%) after the intervention (odd ratio=4.99, confidence interval=1.63–15.25, p=.004). There were 3 cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia before the intervention and 1 case after the intervention. The ventilator days were 2,143 days before the intervention and 2,232 days after the intervention. The ventilator-associated pneumonia rate of the 1,000 ventilator days was 1.40 before the intervention and decreased to 0.45 after the intervention. CONCLUSION: This study is meaningful, as there has been little research conducted regarding the application of the ventilator-associated pneumonia bundle in South Korea.

Effects of Daily Chlorhexidine Bathing on the Acquisition of Multidrug-resistant Organisms and Healthcare-associated Infection in an Intensive Care Unit

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to verify the effects of daily 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing on the acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in a medical intensive care unit (MICU). METHODS: The study was a randomized controlled group posttest only design, involving 91 patients in MICU at a tertiary hospital (47 patients in the experimental group and 44 patients in the control group). The 2% CHG bathing was performed daily according to bathing protocol to the patients in the experimental group, and traditional bath was performed every three days to those in the control group. Fisher's exact test and χ² test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: MDRO were found in 6 patients of the experimental group and in 15 patients of the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p=.016). HAI occurred in 2 patients of the experimental group and in 7 patients of the control group. The difference was not statistically significant (p=.084). CONCLUSION: The results confirmed that daily bathing with CHG was effective in reducing the incidence of MDRO acquisition. Therefore, it is expected that daily bathing with CHG will be used as an effective nursing intervention to reduce the incidence of MDRO acquisition.

Current Status of Biological Nursing Science Education for Clinical Nurses in General Hospital

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent and the nature of biological nursing science education for clinical nurses in general hospital. METHODS: Five advanced general hospitals located in Seoul and Gyeonggi province were conveniently sampled. Contents of education for nurses conducted by the hospital nursing department from January 1 to December 31 of 2015 were collected. Contents of education included biological nursing science and the scope of inclusion and time of assignment were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 271 cases of nursing education data were collected and 223 cases were analyzed after excluding 48 cases whose contents were not confirmed. Biological nursing science was included in the contents of education for 117 cases (52.5%), but not for 106 cases (47.5%). Regarding the frequency of the biological nursing science education contents, ‘pathophysiology’was the most frequently included (n=286), followed by ‘structure and function of the human body’ (n=191), ‘mechanisms and effects of drugs’ (n=114) and ‘clinical microbiology’ (n=43). CONCLUSION: Results of this study confirmed that the education for clinical nurses included a lot of biological nursing science related contents. These results can be used as basis for the development of curriculum and training course for nurses.

Adaptation of Isolation Guidelines for Health Care Settings / 임상간호연구

PURPOSE: This purpose of this study was to develop evidence-based practice guideline for isolation in health care settings to prevent transmission of infectious diseases utilizing guideline adaption process. METHODS: The process of guideline adaptation was performed according to the Korean hospital nurses association's guideline adaptation manual which consisted of three main phases, 9 modules, and 24 steps. RESULTS: The adapted isolation guideline consisted of introduction, overview of isolation guideline, summary of recommendations, recommendations, references, and appendices. The guideline includes 224 recommendations in 4 sections which are organizational administration, standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and education/counselling. CONCLUSION: The adapted isolation guideline is recommended to be disseminated and utilized by nurses and clinicians nationwide to improve the isolation practices for infected or colonized patients with communicable diseases and to decrease the transmission of infections in the healthcare settings.

Development of Pre-discharge Group Education Program for Liver Transplant Patients / 대한이식학회지

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to develop a pre-discharge group education program for liver transplant patients, and to contribute to improving the knowledge and performance of self-management after discharge. METHODS: This investigation was a methodological study consisting of analysis, design, development, operation, and evaluation stages. RESULTS: The constituent items of the pre-discharge group education program for liver transplant patients include medication management, infection management, emergency management, outpatient management, complication management, nutrition management, exercise management, wound and drainage management, disability registration, and sex life. The pre-discharge group education program for liver transplant patients was conducted once a week, 30 minutes for the coordinator, 40 minutes for the clinical nurse specialist (including 10 minutes for wound and drainage management), 30 minutes for pharmacists, 20 minutes for the nutritionist, and 20 minutes for social workers. Additionally, the contents of the lecture announced by PowerPoint were made the same as the booklet. The overall knowledge level before and 3 months after the pre-discharge group education program for liver transplantation patients increased significantly from 17.32±1.53 to 19.74±0.89. At the 3-month time point, the overall compliance was 77.39±3.04 out of 80. Overall satisfaction was 9.32±0.93 on a scale of 10. Finally, the need for medication was the highest at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: It is expected that this program can be utilized in the clinical field as an effective nursing education intervention.

Current Immunization Status and Factors Affecting the Influenza Vaccination in Kidney Transplant Patients

PURPOSE: The present study examines the current influenza immunization rate among kidney transplant patients in an effort to identify the factors influencing their decisions pertaining to the immunization. METHODS: Participants in the study included 150 adults over the age of 64 years who visited a General Surgery Department in Korea on April 2015, who had had a kidney transplant at least two years prior to the visit. We compared the characteristics of transplant patients who were immunized against those of the patients who had not been immunized. RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 48.5±9.6 years, consisting of 87 males (58.0%) and 63 females (42.0%). The average post-surgery period was 91.0±59.0 months. Between September and December 2014, the immunization rate among these participants was 61.3%. Factors which influenced the participant's decision to get immunized in 2014 and drove up the immunization rate were: previous immunization in 2013 (OR=24.57, CI= 8.79-68.70, p<.001), marital status (OR=3.33, CI 1.05-10.56, p=.041), and awareness (OR=1.58, CI=0.99-2.52, p=.056). CONCLUSION: The current study found that the previous year's immunization record, marital status, and awareness increased the rate of immunization among the participants.

Impact of Central Line Insertion Bundle on the Adherence of Bundle and Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in the Operating Room

BACKGROUND: This study purposed to examine how the incidence of the central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) in a operating room (OR) is affected by bundle application on central line insertion (CLI) practice. METHODS: The study design was a pretest-posttest experimental trial. The subjects were 83 patients before the bundle application on CLI and 70 patients after. RESULTS: The compliance(%) of bundle on CLI of among those who observed all of the five items increased from 7.2% before the intervention to 72.9% after. By items, compliance with the maximal barrier precaution was 100% for the use of a mask and cap before and after the intervention, but increased from 73.5% before the intervention to 88.6% after for the hand hygiene, from 73.5% to 88.6% for the use of a sterile gown, and from 9.6% to 75.7% for the use of a sterile large drape covering the whole body. CLABSI did not happen on CLI either before or after the application of the bundle intervention. CONCLUSION: Bundle application increased compliance with the use of a sterile gown and the use of a sterile large drape. However, its effect in the prevention of CLABSI was not clear probably due to the short period of intervention in a single hospital.

Adequacy of Reprocessing Gastrointestinal Endoscopes in Korea Hospitals

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted in order to survey the current state of cleaning, disinfection, rinsing, drying, and storage of gastrointestinal endoscopes. METHODS: Eighty hospitals were selected through convenient sampling. Self-reported questionnaire was distributed from September 14 to October 10 in 2015. RESULTS: The response rate was 67.5% (54/80). In 88.9% of the hospitals, reprocessing was performed in a cleaning space separated from the laboratory and 88.9% used an enzymatic cleaner. Disinfectants used were ortho-phthalaldehyde in 63.0%, and paracetic acid in 33.3%. Eighty seven percent of the hospitals used test strips in order to test the effective concentration of disinfectant and in 61.1%, drying was done through passing air and over 70% alcohol. Microbial culture for the quality control of gastrointestinal endoscopes was performed in 77.8%. In the comparison of the adequacy of gastrointestinal endoscope reprocessing, it was observed that gastrointestinal endoscopes were reprocessed more adequately in larger and tertiary care hospitals. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal endoscopes were reprocessed in similar manners, but there were differences in the detailed process. It is still necessary to segment reprocessing into stages, to prepare standardized guidelines, and to monitor compliance with the guidelines.

Development of Syllabuses for Biological Nursing Science Subjects based on Learning Outcomes: Structure and Function of Human Body, Pathogenic Microbiology, Pathophysiology, and Mechanisms and Effects of Drugs

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop syllabuses of basic nursing science subjects (Structure and Function of Human Body, Pathogenic Microbiology, Pathophysiology, and Mechanisms and Effects of Drug) based on learning outcomes. METHODS: We developed a 3-phase plan to develop the syllabuses. In the first phase, The Korean Society of Biological Nursing Science (KSBNS) held a workshop in May, 2013 in which professors who are in charge of basic nursing science subjects shared opinions about learning outcomes. As a result, initial prototype syllabuses came out. In the second phase, revised syllabuses based on learning outcomes were presented and discussed in the conference held by KSBNS in November, 2013. In the last phase, a research team who taught basic nursing science subjects finalized the syllabuses during the meetings. RESULTS: Syllabuses of 4 basic nursing science subjects were developed. CONCLUSION: These syllabuses of 4 subjects need to be disseminated throughout nursing colleges. Further revision needs to be made according to the circumstances and context of each school.

Prospective and Retrospective Incidence and Post-exposure Reporting of Needlestick Injuries / 병원감염관리

BACKGROUND: Most studies on the incidence rate (IR) and post-exposure reporting rate (RR) of needle-stick injuries (NSIs) were performed using retrospective surveillance, which is vulnerable to recall bias. This study aimed to identify the agreement between IRs and RRs obtained from prospective and retrospective surveillance. METHODS: The prospective surveillance was performed with 716 nurses working at 3 hospitals from August to September in 2012. They prospectively reported when they experienced the NSIs, and the investigator retrospectively calculated the RR from records in the infection control unit or health care unit during the same periods when they reported the number of NSIs. The retrospective surveillance was carried out with 312 nurses who participated in the prospective surveillance. They retrospectively answered the question on the number of NSIs and post-exposure reporting after recalling the experienced NSI from August to September in 2012. RESULTS: The IR of NSIs was 9.8 per 100 nurses by the prospective surveillance and 36.4 per 100 nurses by the retrospective surveillance, which was statistically significantly different (P<0.001). The RR of NSIs was 14.3% by the prospective surveillance and 8.5% by the retrospective surveillance, which was not statistically significantly different. CONCLUSION: We recommend using a prospective approach for calculating the IR of NSIs to reduce the risk of recall bias. However, the RR of NSIs can be calculated using both prospective and retrospective approaches.

The Hawthorne Effect between Covert and Overt Observations in the Monitoring of Hand Hygiene Adherence among Healthcare Personnel at Coronary Care Unit and Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit / 병원감염관리

BACKGROUND: Direct observation of healthcare workers is commonly used in hospitals to investigate hand hygiene compliance. However, the hand hygiene compliance rate may increase due to the Hawthorne effect, which is the modification of behavior simply because subjects become aware that they are being observed. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of the Hawthorne effect when directly observing hand hygiene compliance in intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare personnel. METHODS: A total of 87 staff members from the coronary care unit and cardiac surgery ICU of a general hospital in Seoul were included in this study: 24 residents and interns, 55 nurses, and 8 nursing assistants. Both covert and overt observations, where subjects were either unaware or aware of any direct observation, were performed on separate occasions. RESULTS: A total of 1,052 covert and 1,336 overt observations were documented over 30 and 34 occasions, respectively. Overall hand hygiene compliance was significantly higher with overt observation than with covert observation (1,041/1,336, 77.9% vs. 659/1,052, 62.6%, P<0.001). The Hawthorne effect was present in all professions and behaviors, with the exception of nursing assistants, and prior to touching a patient. CONCLUSION: Direct observation of hand hygiene compliance was associated with the Hawthorne effect when observations were made overtly and this was likely to contribute to an overestimation of compliance rate.

Understanding of Technical Terms and Contents of Informed Consent Forms for Sedative Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Procedures

PURPOSE: This was a cross-sectional study designed to evaluate the subjective understanding of technical terms and contents of the informed consent forms given to patients about to undergo conscious sedative upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. METHODS: A group of conveniently selected 180 patients, who were undergoing sedative endoscopy were recruited in the endoscopy procedure room in a tertiary hospital from June to July 2011. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: The average number of terms exposed was 8.12 out of 10 items, the average number of terms understood well by the patients was 5.53 out of 10 items, and the average number of right answers was 3.30 out of 5 items, and the percent of correct answers ranged from 26.1% to 90.0%. The exposure to terms differed by gender, education, and previous exposure to sedative endoscopy procedures. The number of "understanding of the terms well" responses differed according to age and previous exposure to sedative endoscopy procedures, and the correct answer rate was differed by education. CONCLUSION: The understanding of the terms and knowledge about the procedures were disappointing. Therefore, sufficient explanations should be provided to the patients. While the informed consent was taken by doctors, the level of understanding should be monitored by nurses. In particular, subjects who did not have any previous experience with endoscopy procedures showed relatively lower level of understanding. We recommend that medical terms should be replaced with more common and nontechnical words in consent forms.

Nasal Colonization and Molecular Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus among Hemodialysis Patients in 7 Korean Hospitals / 병원감염관리

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus is a major bacteremia-causing pathogen in hemodialysis patients, frequently colonizing patient skin and mucosa. Active infection control is necessary to prevent methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection in hospitals; however, the spread of community-associated MRSA has recently become a concern for MRSA infection control. We evaluated the nasal colonization of MRSA among hemodialysis patients and the molecular characterization of the MRSA isolates. METHODS: Nasal swabs were obtained from 482 hemodialysis patients in 7 nationwide hospitals in November 2009, and cultured for MRSA colonization. Swabs were inoculated and cultured in 6.5% NaCl tryptic soy broth, then subcultured on MRSASelect medium (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA) for 20-24 h. Multiplex PCR was performed to analyze staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) types of MRSA isolates. RESULTS: Of 482 hemodialysis patients, 57 (11.8%) carried MRSA, ranging from 6.7% to 19.0%. Among the 57 MRSA isolates, we identified 3 (5.3%) SCCmec II, 1 (1.8%) SCCmec IIA, 30 (52.6%) SCCmec IIB, 1 (1.8%) SCCmec III, 6 (10.5%) SCCmec IV, and 16 (28.1%) SCCmec IVA subtypes. CONCLUSION: The MRSA carriage rate (11.8%) of hemodialysis patients in this study was high. The SCCmec IIB subtype, a healthcare-associated strain, was the predominant strain, although SCCmec IV isolates, typically found in community-associated MRSA infections, were also frequently observed. To prevent healthcare-associated MRSA infections in hemodialysis patients, standardized infection control measures should be performed, and efforts to reduce MRSA carriage rates should be considered.

Development of Infection Control Guideline for Postpartum Care Centers / 병원감염관리

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop feasible and detailed infection control guidelines (ICG) and audit protocols for health care workers and auditors in postpartum care centers (PCC). METHODS: PCC ICG and audit protocols were developed in several steps: 1) review of previous ICG for PCCs; 2) establishment of frameworks for updating guidelines and audit protocols; 3) review of new ICG, regulations, etc.; 4) drafting of PCC ICG and audit protocols and revision based on feedback from the research committee; 5) Delphi survey to solicit opinions from infection control, infant care, and maternal care professionals as well as PCC health care workers; 6) re-revision after discussion with the research committee; and 7) finalization of PCC ICG and audit protocols. RESULTS: We developed ICG with 4 categories and 26 sub-categories, and internal and external audit protocols with 163 and 85 items, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ICG and audit protocols are valid and feasible; we recommend their utilization as auditing tools, baseline data for the development of national infection control policies, and as educational materials for PCC healthcare workers.

Comparison of Antimicrobial Effect of Alcohol Gel according to the Amount and Drying Time in Health Personnel Hand Hygiene

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of alcohol gel according to the amount and drying time in health personnel hand hygiene and to promote in their practice adequate and effective hand hygiene. METHODS: The cross-over experimental study was performed with 14 volunteers. Hands were artificially contaminated with 5 mL of 10(8) CFU/mL of Serratia marcescens (ATCC 14756) and four different alcohol gel hand hygiene methods varying by the amount of alcohol gel (2 mL vs. 1 mL) and drying time (complete vs. incomplete) were compared. Samples were collected by glove juice sampling procedures. RESULTS: Mean log reduction values of the four different hand hygiene methods were 2.22+/-0.36, 1.26+/-0.53, 1.49+/-0.60, 0.89+/-0.47 respectively for the 4 groups: adequate amount (2mL) and complete dry (30 seconds rubbing followed by 2 min air-dry), inadequate amount (1 mL) and complete dry, adequate amount and incomplete dry (15 seconds rubbing and no air-dry), and inadequate amount and incomplete dry. The difference was statistically significant in the adequate amount and complete dry group compared to other three groups (p<.001). CONCLUSION: Only alcohol gel hand hygiene with adequate amount and complete drying was satisfactory by U.S. FDA-TFM efficacy requirements for antiseptic hand hygiene products.

Effect of Interventions by Using Checklist for the Management of Steam Sterilizers and Sterilized Items in Out-patient Clinics and Clinical Laboratories / 병원감염관리

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the results of intervention activities on the management of steam sterilizers and sterile items in out-patient clinics and clinical laboratories. METHODS: A checklist was developed and used to monitor and evaluate the adequacy of sterilizers and sterilized items at out-patient clinics and clinical laboratories in a tertiary-care hospital. The checklist consisted of 7 items: condition of the material used for packaging sterile items, maintenance of shelf-life records, sterilizer cleanliness, maintenance of expiry date details of sterilized items, sterilization conditions, use of chemical indicators, and the results of biological indicators. Monitoring and additional intervention activities were carried out once every week for 53 weeks from August 2007 to July 2008. The study period was divided into 2 terms, early and late intervention; the duration of each term was 6 months, and we compared the ratio of adequacy of management of sterilizer and sterilized items between the 2 terms. RESULTS: There were a total of 795 observations from 15 departments in 1 year. Sterility of the materials used for packaging increased from 87.4% in the first 6-month term to 97.9% in the second 6-month term. Records for shelf-life increased from 89.6% to 98.5% in the same period, while the figures for maintaining expiry date details of sterilized items and for steam sterilizer cleanliness increased from 92.6% to 99.2%, and from 91.9% to 98.5 (P<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our intensive checklist-based intervention was effective in improving the management of steam sterilizers and sterile items in out-patient clinics and clinical laboratories.