Seek Steris SS1 replacement and watch for any updates

If your hospital uses Steris System 1® (SS1) processors, it might be a good idea to flag them as a recurring agenda item for your safety committee meetings—as least for the time being.

The FDA criticized the SS1 in a safety notice published December 3, 2009. In brief, the FDA encouraged hospitals to seek alternatives to the SS1 within six months, citing alleged infection control and safety risks resulting from modifications to the SS1 that the agency hasn’t approved yet.

With an estimated 30,000 pieces of medical equipment run through SS1 processors daily, any curb in use could be far-reaching.