With the Ebola outbreak in the news everyday, hospitals are examining their infection control efforts. There is a growing body of evidence that “disinfected” medical devices are not as clean they need to be, according to an article on the Infection Control Today website.

The need to reduce the risk of cross contamination in healthcare settings is always important, but when dealing with a virulent and active infection like Ebola, the need for diligence becomes critical, the article said.

Three things a hospital should consider when examining their infection control efforts are:

• For products that must be reused, make sure to — at a minimum — follow all manufacturer recommendations for cleaning 

• Whenever possible, use disposable products, as reprocessing of critical devices can be expensive and imperfect 

• Hospitals need to revisit policies and protocols for cross contamination and update them regularly

Read the article.