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OICS Task Force Issues Guidelines for Cleaning and Sterilization of Ophthalmic Instruments

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Evidence-based specialty specific guidelines for the cleaning and sterilization of intraocular instruments were developed and issued through a 3-year collaborative effort spearheaded by ASCRS. The guidelines were released on April 5, 2018, and announced in the April issue of EyeWorld.

Under the leadership of cochairs and ASCRS Executive Committee members David F. Chang, MD, Los Altos, California, and Nick Mamalis, MD, Salt Lake City, the “Guidelines for Cleaning and Sterilization of Intraocular Surgical Instruments” were developed by the Ophthalmic Instrument Cleaning and Sterilization (OICS) Task Force composed of representatives from ASCRS, the Ophthalmic Outpatient Surgery Society (OOSS), and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

These guidelines were created with evidence from scientific, published studies that address the use of enzymatic detergents for intraocular instruments, the safety and efficacy of short-cycle steam sterilization for sequential same-day ophthalmic procedures, and the carbon footprint of cataract surgery. 

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