Press Releases

New Orleans, March 23, 2012 — At the 59th annual Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Congress, being held March 24 to 29 in New Orleans, Cardinal Health will highlight its continuing support of clinician education and solutions that can help nurses drive cost-effectiveness and improve operating room (OR) outcomes.

As part of this expertise, Cardinal Health will host several continuing education (CE) activities focused on OR safety, sterility and infection prevention. Key topics include:

Understanding facial protection: What to know and what to wear — Today’s OR personnel are confronted with the challenges of new and drug-resistant pathogens as well as potential bloodborne and inhalation hazards. This continuing nursing education activity will provide an overview of the health hazards inherent to the perioperative environment, review the various types of facial protection devices available, and review clinical considerations regarding the appropriate selection and use of facial protection devices in various surgical practice settings. 
  
Sterility assurance: A focus on packaging — Perioperative personnel involved in the use, care, and handling of sterile surgical items must remain aware of the relationship between proper packaging and sterility assurance of the packaged items, so this continuing education activity will provide an overview of the impact of surgical site infections, address sterility assurance as it relates to the various sterilization processes, and outline key criteria for the appropriate selection and use of packaging materials. Presenters will discuss best practices related to packaging, describe the types of sterilization wraps and provide troubleshooting techniques to avoid and resolve wet packs.

AAMI levels and surgical gowns; know if you’re protected — Perioperative nurses must be knowledgeable about barrier fabric qualities in order to select and use gowns appropriately in the OR practice setting, so this continuing education activity will provide a review of the key considerations for the appropriate selection and use of surgical gowns as an infection prevention measure for both patients and the surgical team. Presenters will review standards and guidelines pertaining to the selection and use of surgical gowns published by various federal agencies and professional organizations, highlighting The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standard, Liquid Barrier Performance and Classification of Protective Apparel and Drapes Intended for Use in Health Care Facilities (AAMI/ANSI PB70), which provides an objective standard to select the proper level of protection needed for specific procedures. An accompanying case study also will provide the participant with the opportunity to synthesize the information and evaluate a workplace scenario related to surgical gown selection and use.

Sharps Safety and Double-gloving Go Hand in Hand — The operating room presents patient and practitioner risk due to sharps in the setting, and double-gloving plays an important role in the reduction of bloodborne infections for the patient and the practitioner. This continuing education activity addresses the history of sharps safety initiatives and provides evidence that supports the use of double-gloving as an OR-specific mitigation strategy for sharps risk and exposure to bloodborne pathogens
  
Back by popular demand

In addition to the four new courses being offered this year, the company is again offering these courses it offered at the 58th Congress:

Topical Skin Adhesives: Safe, Strong and Secure Wound Closure — Wound healing are essential to optimal outcomes for all surgical patients, and the healing process is facilitated by proper closure of the surgical wound. This continuing education course will provide information regarding the advancements in topical skin adhesives in surgery and the clinical benefits of their use. The session will focus on butyl- and octyl-cyanoacrylate skin adhesives and will identify the advantages and disadvantages of topical skin adhesives for surgical patients.

Retained Foreign Objects: The Cost of Leaving Things Behind — Retained Foreign Objects (RFOs) after surgery can result in patient morbidity and even mortality, and the cost of leaving them behind is significant for everyone involved. This continuing education activity not only will help perioperative nurses understand the ramifications and liabilities of the costs of RFOs, but it also will allow them to explore current technology and professional-recommended practices that will help them eliminate false counts and the incidence of retained foreign objects.

The continuing education activities are sponsored by Pfiedler Enterprises through the California Board of registered Nursing, with grant funds provided by Cardinal Health. Each course is approved for two CE credits.

Beyond offering free CE activities, Cardinal Health will further support clinician education at its AORN Booth #4321 by highlighting products, supply chain expertise and productivity solutions to help improve safety and efficiency in the OR. Attendees will be invited to a “Journey Through Your OR,” utilizing interactive kiosks to create a customized road map of the clinical implications, products and services that matter most to them. As part of these customized tours, attendees can learn how to:

• Support patient and practitioner safety with products such as the company’s new Protexis™ Powder-Free Surgical Gloves, with both latex and synthetic options; its recently released Smart-Seal™ Surgical Mask, designed to enhance fit and help reduce fog on eyewear; its market-leading SmartGown™, RoyalSilk® and Astound® Surgical Gowns; and products designed to prevent retained foreign objects, such as the SurgiCount Safety Sponge® System — a comprehensive sponge counting and documentation system that helps prevent sponges and towels from unintentionally being left in patients during surgical procedures.
• Maintain a safe and sterile environment with offerings such as the double-layer DuraBlue™ Sterilization Wrap, which helps maintain the sterility of surgical instruments; and the SAF-T Pump™ Waste Disposal System, a liquid medical waste disposal system powered entirely by tap water that eliminates the need for pouring by quickly and safely emptying canisters into the sanitary sewer.
• Prevent infection and cross-contamination with help from proprietary products such as the Cardinal Health Tiburon® Surgical Drape, which has the industry’s largest critical zone.
• Optimize OR efficiency via solutions like the Presource® Procedure Pack Program, a surgical kitting process that helps customers increase productivity and maintain a high standard of patient care; and the fast-setting, durable butyl adhesive LiquiBand® Topical Skin Adhesive.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $103 billion health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while  reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 60,000 locations each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.