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May 12, 2026Open Access

Reusable Medical Device Processing in Central Sterile Supply Departments: A Survey of Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals in Xiangtan City, China

Key Points

This research aims to evaluate the cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization practices for reusable medical devices in healthcare institutions.
Conducted a cross-sectional survey via electronic questionnaire to 46 secondary and tertiary hospitals in Xiangtan City, China.
Assessed characteristics such as equipment configuration, management, staff training, and operational models.
100% of facilities had high-temperature sterilizers and ultrasonic cleaners, while only 32.61% had low-temperature sterilizers.
Tertiary hospitals had significantly more low-temperature sterilizers and other advanced equipment than secondary hospitals (P<0.05).
54.35% of institutions reported specialized training, with gaps observed in private secondary hospitals.

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study conducted a cross-sectional survey to evaluate the cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization practices for reusable medical devices in the Central Sterile Supply Departments (CSSDs) of secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions in Xiangtan City, China.MethodsAn electronic questionnaire was distributed to the CSSDs of 46 secondary and tertiary hospitals in Xiangtan City, China. The questionnaire assessed key areas including basic institutional characteristics, equipment configuration, management and training, and operational model.ResultsAmong the 46 surveyed CSSDs, high-temperature sterilizers and ultrasonic cleaners were universally available (100%), whereas low-temperature sterilizers were only present in 32.61% of facilities. CSSDs in tertiary hospitals demonstrated significantly higher proportions for low-temperature sterilizers, biological indicator incubators/readers, and automatic washer-disinfectors compared to secondary hospitals (χ² values: 13.278, 4.128, and 5.911, respectively; all P<0.05). Specialized training at the municipal level or above was reported by 54.35% of institutions, with all untrained staff located in private secondary hospitals. Only one quality management traceability system was implemented in two public hospitals (4.35%). Centralized in-house sterile supply was practiced by 29 hospitals (63.04%), while 17 (36.96%) utilized third-party providers. Of those with in-house supply, five (17.24%) planned to outsource within two years.ConclusionThese findings suggest a significant gap in processing standards between hospital levels. To address this, informed policies should promote regional coordination and resource sharing to establish an efficient, standardized sterile supply model that ensures uniform quality across all institutions.

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