DecontaminationQuestion 21 of 100
Instrument sets are consistently arriving in decontamination with hard, dried blood in box locks and serrations. What is the most likely root cause?
a.Point-of-use treatment is not being performed and the sets sit too long before processing
b.The washer-disinfector detergent concentration is set too high
c.The decontamination area humidity is above 60 percent
d.The transport carts are being covered too tightly
Explanation
Dried, baked-on soil is the classic signature of missing point-of-use treatment combined with delayed transport, and the fix is education of the procedural areas plus prompt pickup. Excess detergent does not create dried soil, and it would be observed after washing rather than on arrival. High humidity would tend to keep soil moist, and covering carts protects rather than harms the instruments.
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