FAQs: Blood Glucose Meter Disinfection If surveyors were to walk into your building today, would you be able to avoid a citation at Tag F441, which requires that each "facility must establish and maintain an infection control program designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment and to help prevent the transmission of disease and infection"?1 Facilities are frequently cited at F441 for the way that they disinfect their blood glucose meters. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), meters can become contaminated with blood and, if used for multiple residents, must be cleaned and disinfected after each use according to manufacturer’s instructions.2 Is this happening in your building? We've assembled the following frequently asked questions to help you ensure that your disinfection procedure both meets professional standards and protects your residents. What do I need to use to disinfect the meters? Blood glucose meters should be disinfected with an EPA-registered antimicrobial that is effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Human HIV-1 and the Hepatitis B and C viruses.3 You can find the EPA's list of approved products here. Can't I just use alcohol pads to disinfect my meters? No. Alcohol pads are not effective against viral bloodborne pathogens.3 What about bleach? A 1:10 bleach solution is effective against microbes, but it's important to note that it can also lead to the physical degradation of blood glucose meters.3 Do I need to use multiple wipes to clean the meters? If the surface of the meter is visibly soiled, you should use a wipe to remove gross soil and a second wipe to disinfect the surface.3 What does "contact time" mean? Contact time is the total time that a disinfectant solution needs to remain wet on the surface of the meter to achieve all of its stated efficacy kill claims. The contact time can be located on the product label. 3 Our highly trained territory managers are ready to help you with your disinfection needs. To connect with us, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visit us online by clicking the link above. References 1 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. State Operations Manual Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities. Available at: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_pp_guidelines_ ltcf.pdf. Accessed May 8, 2013. 2 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Point of Care Devices and Infection Control in Nursing Homes. Available at: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/downloads/scletter10_28.pdf. Accessed May 8, 2013. 3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Letters to Manufacturers of Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems Listed With the FDA. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/InVitroDiagnostics/ucm227935.htm. Accessed May 8, 2013.

Join us for This Week's Perfect Survey Webinar There's still time to join us for this Thursday's online tour of Compliance Solutions: For the Perfect Survey Every Day, our exclusive Web-based survey preparation tool. We're confident that once you learn more about The Perfect Survey, you'll see that it will be a valuable component of your preparation strategy. It's ideal for prepping for both the QIS and traditional survey! During the webinar, we'll introduce you to the site's contents, including the actual forms that surveyors use, guidance broken down by F tag and care area and exclusive tips from industry

veterans. We'll also show you the fresh content that was recently added to the site. This month, we'll be focusing on nutrition. Click on the link above to register for our May 16 webinar, which will be held from 8-9 a.m. CST.

The Victory Blood Glucose Monitoring System, our Compliance® Solution, is a technologically advanced auto-code meter that delivers long-term care facilities accurate and consistent results in only five seconds. Additional features: Gold-plated test strips Auto-coding Test strip release button 0.5 μl sample size Test range: 20-600mg/dl 500 test result memory Glucose dehydrogenase (AST) Diabetes management software

The Super Sani-Cloth Germicidal Disposable Wipe is ideal for daily use in fast-paced environments that require the shortest contact times and broadest coverage of microogranisms. Additional features: Fast contact time allows for a quick room turnover Compatible with a broad range of surfaces and equipment in health care Meets CDC, OSHA and CMS Tag F441 guidelines Bactericidal, tuberculocidal and virucidal

Product pricing is only visible to registered promedsupply.com customers. If you are not yet registered, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 and our Customer Care Professionals will be happy to get you set up.